Increasing Primary Care Spending in Massachusetts: A Path Forward

Abstract

Commercial insurers in Massachusetts spend less than 7% of all health spending on primary care. As the foundation of the health care system, primary care in Massachusetts is essential to supporting the state’s multiple experiments in cost control, payment reform, and delivery system reform. Primary care practices need to invest to develop the teams they will need to tackle the evolving needs of the Commonwealth, and chronic underinvestment hurts their ability to serve Massachusetts’ patients and communities. This report was prepared for the Harvard Center for Primary Care in order to help the Center think about primary care spending in the state of Massachusetts. The report works to answer 2 central questions:

How can primary care spending be increased in the state of Massachusetts? Which approach might be best for the state? What does the path forward look like? How should advocates begin the process of advocating for action on primary care spending in Massachusetts?