Primary Care Legislation

"ACOs are voluntary groups of physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers that are willing to assume responsibility for the care of a clearly defined population of Medicare beneficiaries attributed to them on the basis of patients' use of primary care services. If an ACO succeeds in both delivering high-quality care or improving care and reducing the cost of that care below what would otherwise have been expected, it will share in the savings it achieves for Medicare."

"Georgia has a medical export problem. Three of every four graduates of Georgia medical schools this year went to do their residency training in other states. That’s important because the bulk of physicians end up practicing within 60 miles of where they did their training. And Georgia is also mired in a doctor shortage that shows no sign of easing."

"The Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) initiative is a new CMS-led, multi-payer initiative fostering collaboration between public and private health care payers to strengthen primary care for all Americans. Primary care is critical to promoting health, improving care, and reducing overall system costs, but it has been historically under-funded and under-valued in the United States. "

"The panel that gives advice to lawmakers on Medicare pay rates has proposed significant reductions in some physician payments as one way to avoid deep across-the-board cuts required by law."

"HHS has managed to increase funding for the education and training of family physicians under the current continuing resolution passed earlier this spring, even though most HHS programs were forced to cut funding."

"A strategic plan would be developed by the Oregon Health Authority, in collaboration with multiple organizations, to deal with the shortage of primary care physicians under House Bill 2366. On its way to the Senate floor, the bill directs the Oregon Health Authority to work with “interested parties,” such as Travel Oregon, the State Workforce Investment Board, medical schools, physician groups and other organizations."

"There has been much concern over the past decade about crowded and overloaded hospital emergency departments (EDs). Contributing to the problem of ED crowding is a substantial increase in emergency department utilization among the U.S. population—often attributed to growing use for nonurgent health problems. As a result, many policy makers and health care providers believe it is essential to shift some of this use to community-based primary care providers to relieve crowded EDs, lower the costs of care to both the health system and patients, and improve the quality of care."

"Experts have reached consensus that the United States will face a shortfall in its physician supply over the next twenty years. While academic and policy experts debate the best approaches to sustain the physician workforce in the long term, the AOA recognizes that we must begin to educate and train a larger cadre of physicians now. While increasing the overall supply of physicians is important, it is imperative that policymakers facilitate a rapid growth in the number of physicians in underrepresented specialties such as family physicians, general internists, pediatricians, and general surgery."

"The President released his 2012 budget proposal to Congress this week, which totals $3.73 trillion but is projected to save $1.1 trillion over the next ten years. In the report, Obama highlights the need to strengthen the health care workforce, especially practitioners who work in primary care. 'Increasing access to primary care health providers can help prevent disease and illness, ensure all Americans have access to high quality care, and reduce costs by decreasing the need for more invasive treatment that could have been prevented through early care.'"