Strengthening Primary Care to Tackle Chronic Disease and Cut Costs

Our dedication to helping primary care succeed takes many shapes and forms—and part of that work also includes remaining educated on and participating in policy reform that helps primary care do its best work: Helping our nation be its healthiest through accessible, affordable, and high-quality care grounded in strong patient-clinician relationships. 

In line with this ethos, we recently signed on to the Primary Care Collaborative’s Better Health - NOW campaign letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to highlight the role of primary care in helping support two currently identified federal priorities: Chronic disease and affordability of care. 

Here’s why this letter matters. 

Primary care is a powerhouse for solving these two priorities. As we’ve highlighted previously, primary care delivers proactive care that results in prevention and early detection—the key to not only intercepting chronic conditions before they develop, but also helping avoid the catastrophic costs that can follow when they become serious. In healthcare, the maxim holds true: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The increasing burden of chronic disease in the U.S. is a growing and costly issue facing public health. This year, it is anticipated that the number of Americans with chronic medical conditions will reach 164 million, accounting for nearly 49% of the population. By 2050, the number of people over age 50 requiring ongoing management of at least one chronic condition is expected to reach double​ the number in 2020. Chronic disease compromises the workforce, increases disability and premature death, and accounts for 90% of the $4.9T spent on healthcare in 2023.

Research tells us that preventive care is the key to ward off chronic diseases and their potential complications. Without it, conditions like late stage cancer, renal disease, heart failure, and many other life-threatening conditions will flourish. As a result, expensive sick care will remain the focus of a healthcare system currently built only for heroism, not for preventing the need for it. Primary care’s longitudinal approach, grounded in long-term patient relationships built on trust, is uniquely positioned to intervene upstream of chronic issues before they can even be defined as such.

When it comes to affordability, primary care also holds a disproportionate capability to reduce the cost of care compared to other forms of care. In part through its preventive measures, studies show that primary care can reduce total costs of care by 30%. Primary care singularly drives better patient outcomes while managing costs and delivering high value across the healthcare system. And, does this with just 5-7% of healthcare spending.

There is not a path that leads to success for this administration’s stated priorities–reducing chronic disease and improving affordability of care–that doesn’t pass directly through primary care. At Elation, we believe the health of Americans is in better hands with primary care. We are committed to the ongoing participation in advocacy activities that highlight the value primary care delivers to patients and our healthcare system.