Primary care is a cornerstone of vibrant, thriving communities and helps keep families healthy, children ready to learn, and adults able to pursue education and participate in the workforce. Primary care is also the only part of the health system that has been proven to lengthen lives and reduce inequities at the population level while reducing overall health care costs. Regular access to primary care is consistently associated with positive health outcomes, including fewer hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and surgeries, and reduced chronic conditions.

However, the United States underinvests in and fails to focus its health system on primary care and falls short on many key health indicators. Experts have advocated for a shift in priorities, describing a reimagined vision of health care where all individuals receive comprehensive, long-term, coordinated care.

Expert panelists discussed the key considerations for centering the health care system around primary care.