“The average annual health care spending per family in Massachusetts, including insurance premiums and out-of-pocket spending, was nearly $25,000, more than the average price of a new compact car”

~Center for Health Information and Analysis, 2021

Affordability

PC4YOU makes Primary Care free for patients: no copays and no deductibles! Many patients are frustrated by the financial burden of seeking healthcare, and for good reason. Sadly, medical bills are the number one cause of bankruptcy for American families, and nearly 1 in 10 Americans are in medical debt. Primary care turns out to be a keystone in saving money for both individuals and the system as a whole. PC prevents expensive emergency room and hospitalizations before they happen, and has been demonstrated to lead to major cost savings.

Healthcare in Massachusetts is Expensive

Massachusetts has one of the highest rates of avoidable hospital use in the U.S. and second highest Medicare readmissions rate, all which lead to increased cost
From 2019 to 2021, spending on healthcare increased at a rate that outpaces wage and salary increases, and was far higher than the rate of inflation.
Private insurers pay hospitals and practices 3 to 5 times what public insurers pay for lab tests
From 2013 to 2021, the commercial spending for a single hospital visit in Massachusetts has surged by 48%, surpassing a $20,000 final bill

Primary Care Plays a Vital Role in Prevention

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Primary care providers can identify potential health issues early on, preventing the need for costly acute visits and emergency department visits.
Primary care providers empower patients with knowledge and guide them towards healthier lifestyle choices, enabling individuals to make informed decisions about their well-being
Services performed in a primary care setting are significantly less expensive than services performed in a hospital or emergency room setting.
One study showed charges were $457 for children treated in the ER as compared to $140 for those with similar conditions treated in a primary care office

Primary Care Reduces Acute Events & Cost

The Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) Initiative tested the effects of streamlining primary care across 502 primary care practices over a four year period. The study showed:
- Enhanced care delivery and a 3% reduction in emergency department (ED) growth.
- Median payments decreased 21% (from approx. $228,00 to approx. $180,00) by the end of the study period
- Overall expenditures decreased by 1.5%
- By the end of the initiative, hospitalizations declined by 3.5%.
In California, an analysis of 180 provider organizations (comprising nearly half of the states commercially insured adults) showed that if these groups marginally increased primary care spending to comprise just 11% of total spend:
- There would be an annual cost savings of $2.4 billion.
- 25,000 acute hospital stays and 89,000 emergency room visits could be avoided.
- 196,000 more members would have received recommended care.