New York, NY — June 8, 2026 — The Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) recognizes the introduction of HR 8765, the Prioritizing Primary Care Act, and applauds the chairs of the House Primary Care Caucus, Representatives David Rouzer (R-NC), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Jen Kiggans (R-VA), and Ami Bera (D-CA), for their leadership and sponsorship of the bill.

Primary care is the foundation of our health care system and plays a critical role in preventing, detecting, and treating conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and depression. Affordable access to care not only reduces long-term health care costs, but also helps families stay healthy, children succeed in school, and adults remain in the workforce. Despite its many benefits, primary care remains chronically underfunded and underprioritized.

Nationally and across various states, it is unknown how much is spent on primary care. While many states track and publicly report primary care spending through All-Payer Claims Databases (APCDs), the federal government does not consistently collect or release comparable national data. As a result, policymakers lack a clear understanding of how much the United States invests in primary care. Most national primary care spending figures are based on estimates, including the 2021 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report on primary care, which estimated that less than 5% was spent on primary care.

If enacted, the Prioritizing Primary Care Act would help determine how much is spent on primary care by requiring all federal agencies that administer a federal health care program to release a yearly report. The legislation would also establish a federal primary care working group tasked with recommending strategies to strengthen primary care spending, improve access, and enhance quality across federal health programs.

“Just one additional primary care provider per 10,000 patients can reduce hospital visits by 5.5%, emergency room visits by 11%, and surgeries by 7%,” said Aparna Mekala, CEO of PCDC. “The Prioritizing Primary Care Act would signal the federal government’s commitment to tackling chronic disease, saving on costly health spending, and building a health system around preventive care.”

By publicly reporting federal primary care investment levels, lawmakers, researchers, providers, and patients will gain a clearer understanding of how the government supports primary care and where improvements are needed. PCDC also believes that the working group established under this bill has the potential to spearhead a national blueprint for how to expand access to quality primary care.

PCDC is a national leader in advancing primary care access and investment policy. It leads the Primary Care Investment Network, a consortium of advocates in more than 30 states working to strengthen primary care investment policies nationwide. In New York, PCDC also leads the New York State Primary Care Coalition, which supports similar legislation in the state legislature: the Primary Care Investment Act (PCIA).

PCDC urges the House of Representatives to pass HR 8765, the Prioritizing Primary Care Act, before the end of the 119th Congress.

For more information, please contact:

Joe Telano, Assistant Director of Policy
jtelano@pcdc.org