A new report finds that the primary care workforce has decreased in recent years, and advises that the U.S. should invest more in adding new physicians. It’s a sensible suggestion, considering that primary care has demonstrably contributed to making Americans healthier.
As Forbes notes, “Greater use of primary care services has long been associated with better health, better care, and lower costs.” And indeed, recent studies have borne that out:
- Heart attack-related deaths fell an average of 4% per year from 1999 to 2020.
- The US cancer mortality rate has fallen 33% since 1991.
- Asthma deaths decreased 41% between 1999 and 2016.
- New diabetes cases declined 35% from 2009 to 2017.
- The average American’s cholesterol levels dropped 20% over a decade.
Numbers like these attest to the usefulness of primary care and the importance of encouraging more student physicians to consider a career in family medicine. A short-term investment could result in substantial savings by reducing the need for higher-cost treatment.
MedBen WellLiving is built on establishing and maintaining a primary care physician/patient relationship. This enables the doctor to perform wellness tests and monitor potential symptoms over an extended period, which helps to prevent complications for unmanaged health conditions.
You can see for yourself the ways that a primary care focus promotes a healthier workplace while lowering your health care spend by contacting MedBen at 888-627-8683.