Survey: Americans Value Primary Care, but Face Access, Cost Concerns

New findings underscore need for greater and different investment in primary care to meet people’s health needs.

Washington, D.C. (October 7, 2024) – Adults in the United States overwhelmingly prefer receiving care from primary care practices (73%) over retail clinics (5%), urgent/walk-in care clinics (12%) and emergency departments (4%)—but many encounter difficulty accessing and affording primary care, according to a public opinion survey released by the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) .

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of U.S. adults prefer to receive primary health care services at a primary care practice, with 90% of Americans 55 and older preferring primary care practices over alternatives.

But, while demand for primary care is high, Americans are increasingly facing challenges accessing the primary care they prefer.

Just over one-in-four (28%) adults indicated they did not have an ongoing relationship with a primary care clinician. Of those who do, nearly one-in-four (23%) indicated they were either only sometimes able (17%) or were never able (6%) to get an appointment with their care team in the past six months.

“The data confirms what patients and clinicians already know: The public wants high-quality primary care from a team that knows their health needs,” said Ann Greiner, president and CEO of the PCC. “Too many people cannot access the front door of our health care system due to decades of underinvestment. Policymakers need to better support primary care so that it is available for everyone in all communities.”

The data underscores recent research from the PCC indicating that the number of primary care clinicians is dwindling due to underinvestment, leaving more people unable to establish a regular primary care relationship. The United States spends less than five cents of every health care dollar on primary care, despite evidence that it improves outcomes for patients at lower costs. Having access to a regular source of primary care is associated with fewer emergency department visits and hospitalizations , lower odds of dying prematurely and lower health care costs .

In addition to facing challenges getting an appointment, most Americans also cited costs and lack of appointment availability as obstacles to getting primary care. About half (51%) said out-of-pocket costs such as copays or deductibles are at least sometimes a major barrier to getting needed primary care.

“A financial barrier to people getting preventative and chronic care services is penny-wise and pound foolish,” said Greiner. “Employers and government end up footing more expensive bills down the line and patients suffer.”

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,164 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 30th August – 2nd September 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all U.S. adults (aged 18+).

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