Although primary care is fundamental to health system performance, the United States has undervalued and underinvested in primary care for decades. A new issue brief describes how the Affordable Care Act will begin to strengthen America's primary care system through: temporary increases in Medicare and Medicaid payments to primary care providers; support for innovation in the delivery of care, with an emphasis on achieving better health outcomes and patient experiences; enhanced support of primary care providers; and investment in the primary care workforce.
In a related blog post, Melinda Abrams, director of the Commonwealth Fund's Patient-Centered Coordinated Care program, provides estimates of how the new law is likely to benefit patients, providers, and payers.
