Primary Care Improves Outcomes: Why Affordable Health Insurance Companies Urge Prevention
9 Minutes
Team Curative
May 28, 2024
Your primary care provider (PCP) is usually the first person you see when you need healthcare. They help you stay healthy by doing things like check-ups, giving you shots, and helping you manage chronic conditions like diabetes. And if you have a good, affordable health insurance plan, you're more likely to see your PCP regularly, which can mean better health and lower costs in the long run.
But what is primary care, exactly? It's basically the foundation of all your healthcare. Think of it like a home — primary care is the solid structure that keeps everything else in place. It includes things like preventive care, which means doing things to stay healthy before you get sick. Your PCP can help you figure out what you need to do to reduce your chances of getting sick in the first place. And if you do get sick, your PCP is there to help. They can diagnose you, treat you, and refer you to specialists if you need them.
Let’s discuss how your PCP helps manage your health and why affordable health insurance is the secret to accessing the best care possible for you and your family.
How can primary care save you money?
You have probably heard Benjamin Franklin’s famous saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. The same can be said for primary care, and the outcomes speak for themselves:
Every $1 spent on primary care reduces healthcare costs by $13.
If all U.S. adults used their PCP as their principal source of care, $67 billion would be saved annually.
Affordable health insurance increases your access to primary care. It supports your health and wellness and helps build positive relationships with your doctors. Regular preventive care helps your doctor identify health issues early and improves your health outcomes, especially if you are high-risk. Certain initial preventive visits, like an annual wellness exam, are covered by all insurance companies through a mandate, but the best affordable health insurance companies cover costs for any follow-up preventive care and help you develop an ongoing relationship with a PCP.
Research shows that individuals who have regular visits with their PCP have “33% lower healthcare costs than those who only see a specialist.” In some cases, the difference in cost is even higher. For example, individuals who seek care for an acute illness at an emergency room will pay up to 12 times more than they would for the same procedure at their PCP’s office.
How does primary care improve your health?
Primary care is your first line of defense against non-emergency health concerns. It plays a critical role in monitoring your risk factors and highlighting the importance of ongoing preventive care. Understanding the benefits of prioritizing regular PCP visits ensures you’re not just a passive recipient of healthcare services but an active participant in shaping your health journey.
Earlier detection of conditions or diseases
Regular visits and communication with your PCP increase the likelihood that a disease or condition will be detected early, providing the best chances for treatment. Common risk factors like high blood pressure, which impacts nearly half of all adults in the US, can be reduced through preventive measures and early detection.
For most types of cancer, early detection makes a critical difference in treatment and survival rate. When analyzing 5-year relative survival rates for common cancers, we see drastic differences depending on which stage patients receive a diagnosis. Early-stage female breast cancer has a 98% 5-year survival rate, while late-stage female breast cancer drops to 30%. Early-stage lung (57%), prostate (100%), and colorectal (88%) cancers also have higher 5-year survival rates than a late-stage diagnosis (31%, 32%, and 16%, respectively).
Individuals who see their PCP regularly access screenings that identify these conditions and diseases while they are still treatable, reducing their odds of dying prematurely by 19%.
Building a relationship with your PCP
Having a long-term relationship with your PCP means that your physician is familiar with your history and can better identify abnormalities. Establishing a relationship can magnify the advantages of
primary care, so your physician can make more informed decisions and recognize potential health issues that could otherwise be overlooked. Dr. Tara Kiran, a family physician, underscores the importance of continuous care, stating, "Continuity of care strongly correlates with positive health outcomes, including better screening processes, reduced reliance on emergency departments, and overall improved health."
Improved access
Your PCP can refer you to specialist care when needed and act as your link to the broader healthcare system. They also stay current on the tests and can make recommendations based on their understanding of your patient history.
Health insurance companies must improve access to affordable primary care
Despite primary care’s critical role in maintaining health, many Americans, especially Millennials, navigate life without this foundational level of care. Despite being the largest generation group in the US, only “68% of Millennials” report having a PCP compared to “91% of Generation X”.
The data shows disparities in PCP access and behavior:
Overall, almost one-third of Americans lack a regular source of primary care.
Individuals under 24 are almost twice as likely to visit a PCP as older age groups and across all age brackets.
Men are less likely to seek out primary care than women.
A lack of consistent care — like not seeing the same healthcare provider regularly — can decrease the effectiveness of health screenings. Inconsistencies like these may even lead to more visits to the emergency department or worse health outcomes overall. The barriers to finding and using primary care, especially among younger people, highlight a need for everyone to better understand their healthcare insurance and push toward making primary care more accessible and affordable.
A major hurdle is the lack of access to affordable health insurance companies. Traditional health plans can be unaffordable and complicated – starting a cycle of misunderstanding around healthcare and health insurance coverage. This leads to avoidance driven by confusion and fears of high or hidden costs. American employees deserve better access to affordable health insurance companies.
Curative offers comprehensive preventive care
Curative is an innovative affordable health insurance company that seeks to revolutionize the way we see healthcare. We understand the challenges members sometimes face when seeking affordable, quality care.
This is why we created a health plan that supports and connects you to the care you need, without the confusion. Curative encourages members to meet with a Care Navigator within the first 120 days of membership. They can assist you in finding an in-network, local PCP who will support you at every step of your wellness journey. Members can visit their in-network primary care providers without the hassle of referrals, copays, or deductibles.
A positive doctor-patient relationship is a vital part of a primary care practice. By establishing a first visit with your PCP, Curative helps reduce any confusion about your benefits and encourages you to take advantage of your plans fully.
Curative’s approach to primary care underscores our commitment to making healthcare both accessible and affordable. By prioritizing the doctor-patient relationship and ensuring seamless access to primary care services, Curative is setting a new standard in healthcare.
Primary care in Texas
For members in Texas, Curative now offers Curative Primary Care with our team of high-quality doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical staff. Members can schedule virtual appointments from anywhere in Texas or request in-person appointments at our Austin location.
Members have access to:
Annual Check-ups
Routine Screenings
Vaccinations and Immunizations
Chronic Disease Management
Acute Illness Care
Mental Health Services
Women's Health
Men's Health
Medication Management
Referrals to Specialists
Nutritional Counseling
Lifestyle and Wellness Coaching Referral
About Curative
Curative is dedicated to delivering better health outcomes for its members because we want people to love using their health benefits.
Our plans are affordable and simple to use so members can access the care they need, when they need it.
With Curative, affordable health insurance and comprehensive care are within your reach. Learn more about our plan at our website.
To see all disclaimers, please view here.
References
Landon, B. (Nov 2023). “Assessing the Advantages of Preventive Care.” Harvard Medical School Blavatnik Insitute of Health Care Policy. hcp.hms.harvard.edu/news/assessing-advantages-preventive-care
Purchaser Business Group in Health. (Oct 2021). Using Primary Care’s Potential to Improve Health Outcomes. https://www.pbgh.org/using-primary-cares-potential-to-improve-health-outcomes/
Kaiser Family Foundation. (Jul 2019). The Cost Of Unwarranted ER Visits: $32 Billion A Year. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/the-cost-of-unwarranted-er-visits-32-billion-a-year
Hacker, K., Briss, P. (Jan 2021). An Ounce of Prevention Is Still Worth a Pound of Cure, Especially in the Time of COVID-19. https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2021/20_0627.htm
Tsao, C., et all. (Jan 2023). Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2023 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001123
Center for Disease Control. (Nov 2021). Incidence and Relative Survival by Stage at Diagnosis for Common Cancers. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/uscs/about/data-briefs/no25-incidence-relative-survival-stage-diagnosis.htm
Statistica. (2022). Resident population in the United States in 2022, by generation. https://www.statista.com/statistics/797321/us-population-by-generation
Marso, A. (2021). What Millennials Want Out of Primary Care, and How to Deliver It. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/fpm/issues/2021/0500/p29.html#fpm20210500p29-b2
Closing Primary Care Gap. (Feb 2023) National Association of Community Health Centers. https://www.nachc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Closing-the-Primary-Care-Gap_Full-Report_2023_digital-final.pdf
Robert Graham Center (RGC). (2021). Primary Care in the United States a Chartbook of Facts and Statistics. https://www.graham-center.org/content/dam/rgc/documents/publications-reports/reports/PrimaryCareChartbook2021.pdf
Baker, P. (May 2021). Men and Primary Care: Removing the Barriers. Center for Primary Care. https://info.primarycare.hms.harvard.edu/perspectives/articles/men-primary-care
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