Primary care has historically served as the backbone of our nation’s health care system, with patients often maintaining a relationship with a primarycare provider to guide their care over a period of years. Yet, the U.S. emphasizes primary care less than other highincome countries. And a shortage of primarycare providers and changes in the marketplace pose significant challenges for many patients seeking to access primary care, with implications for the nation’s health and health costs.

On Wednesday, April 3 a panel of primarycare experts joined Larry Levitt, KFF’s executive vice president for health policy, for a 45minute discussion on the current state of primary care in the country, including the extent of the shortage, how it varies geographically and for different populations, the impact on people’s health, and what can be done to address it.

Moderator
Larry Levitt, Executive Vice President for Health Policy, KFF
Panelists

Asaf Bitton, MD, Executive Director, Ariadne Labs; Associate Professor of Medicine and Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Candice Chen, MD, Associate Professor, The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health
Erin Ney, MD, Expert Partner, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Bain & Company
Yalda Jabbarpour, MD, Director, Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies; Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Georgetown University
KFF’s virtual Health Wonk Shop series features indepth policy discussions with experts that go beyond the news headlines to provide greater insights.