Quick Covid-19 Primary Care Survey, Series 35

Abstract

More than half of surveyed clinicians say primary care is crumbling. They paint both a stark and an inspiring picture of primary care as the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic comes to a close. Over 40% of respondents report they are mentally and financially fragile, a level that has persisted over the past 24 months. Fewer than a quarter of practices report they are fully staffed. One third of clinicians report currently denied and/or seriously overdue payments from insurers and health plans – this on top of previously reported and unaddressed financial losses. And while fee-for-service is dominant within most payment models for primary care, only 21% of clinicians find this form of payment sufficient. Simultaneous with these obstacles, clinicians also report increased volunteerism, new services to lessen burden on the health system, and expanded levels of practice-provided assistance to address patients’ social vulnerabilities.