Financial models for effective primary care

Abstract

Primary care is the linchpin of high-quality cost-effective health care. There are many methods to pay for primary care. Some methods support the transformation of primary care from a face-to-face visit with a physician to comprehensive management by a health-care team. Any successful financial model needs to support effective primary care and those who provide it. It needs to address the national imperative to provide affordable care. Any model is only as good as its implementation. The profession has an opportunity to lead in a changing environment as better models for effective primary care are developed and deployed.