How New York Must Build Back a Better Primary Care System

Mayor Adams receives medical care (Photo: Michael Appleton / Mayoral Photo Office)

If you find nickel on the ground, do you stop picking it up? Probably not — it seems too small and insignificant. Why bother?

But that small amount is how to evaluate primary care in the context of our entire healthcare system.Is presumed to be 5-7 cents Despite the fact that primary care has proven to be the best return on investment in all health care services, it goes to primary care out of all the dollars spent on health care.

Primary care is the foundation of a vibrant and prosperous community. It helps keep families healthy, children ready to learn, and adults to pursue education and participate in the workforce. For those who have access to primary care Preventive care Cancer screening, flu shots, eating well, exercising, counseling related to smoking cessation, etc.They can also be better Manage chronic illness Like diabetes and asthma.Primary care too Save moneyThe more people have access to primary care, the fewer hospital visits, emergency department visits, and surgery.

This is a rare “win-win” in healthcare, with better health and lower cost.

Investing in primary care is also a key to improvement Racial health inequalities.. Most predominantly black and Latin communities have fewer poor quality health facilities and primary care providers than white communities.

This is not a problem that can be solved simply by spending more money on the healthcare system.New York medical expenses are already 20% higher From the national average. Still, the rates of cardiovascular disease, low birth weight, diabetes, preventable hospitalization, drug-related mortality, and heavy drinking are inferior to many other states.

You don’t need to use it anymore in total, but you need to use it wisely in another way. Medical costs need to be rebalanced by allocating a higher percentage of existing spending to primary care.

New York can learn from Dozens of states We have already introduced or enacted policies to invest more in primary care. For example, when Rhode Island increased its share of commercial insurance companies’ primary care spending by 5%, total health spending in the state fell by 14%.

Increasing the proportion of healthcare costs that support primary care may also help ease the burden on New York healthcare professionals, which has become increasingly difficult since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the reasons for the reduced workforce in primary care is the difference between paying for primary care and specialty care. Both Rhode Island and Oregon have been able to increase the supply of primary care providers after they have begun reporting and increasing primary care spending.

The COVID-19 pandemic is looking forward to loosening its grip, so the old method wasn’t enough, so we have to improve our health system.Gather stakeholders and analyze data to make decisions We will shift where the resources are heading now, and some of those resources to policies that improve primary care best practices and health fairness and improve community health.

And we should I agree with the definition of primary care as there is no standard at the New York or national level.Or The definition should include where primary care is provided and any type of provider that provides care, including doctors, nurse practitioners, and doctor assistants... It doesn’t matter where and who provides care. What is important is the care that the patient receives.

With the agreed definition at hand, you can create baseline measurements of your primary care spending. Next, determine the best way to increase the proportion of health care costs spent on primary care services, set goals to increase investment in primary care, test pilot programs to find the most promising model. Can be identified.

The pandemic has confused everything, but now there is an opportunity to rebuild a better health system. By emphasizing primary and preventive care, you can improve your health and save money without increasing your overall spending. If we capture that moment, New York will be a healthier place for everyone.

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David Sandman is President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Health Foundation. Louise Cohen is Chief Executive Officer of Primary Care Development Corporation.