Role of Improved Primary Care in Meaningful Health Care Reform and Strategies for Developing It

National healthcare reform pushes the role of primary and preventive care to the center of the national stage. Already 60 million Americans lack access to primary care, a shortage that will intensify immeasurably as more gain health insurance. Moreover, health care reform is predicated on reducing health care costs. This means reform must deal with the rising tide of chronic illness, which now accounts for 75% of all health care costs. Doing so will require transforming the current reactive and fragmented model of primary care into a proactive one which emphasizes prevention, early detection, care management and coordination, and health care outcomes. An actionable, affordable primary care development strategy is needed.

Author will discuss these issues and a successful strategy for expanding and improving primary care in underserved communities.