Total health care expenditures for adults who have consistent access to a primary care provider (PCP) were nearly 54% lower than those without one, according to a recent analysis.
Regular PCP access is strongly associated with higher rates of recommended preventive services and screenings:
- 95.5% of adults with a usual source of primary care received preventive services for chronic disease, compared to 67.6% of those without one.
- Adults with a regular PCP were significantly more likely to receive cardiovascular screenings for cholesterol (89.2% vs. 56.7%) and blood pressure (95.5% vs. 67.6%).
- Cancer screening rates were also substantially higher:
Breast cancer: 83.8% vs. 54.2%
Colorectal cancer: 79.0% vs. 59.5%
Cervical cancer: 84.4% vs. 70.5%
Among adults with chronic conditions, those with a regular PCP experienced 11% fewer emergency department visits and 20% fewer hospitalizations.
Taken together, the findings demonstrate that consistent access to primary care is associated with higher use of preventive services, earlier screenings, and substantially lower overall health care costs.