The General Public Vastly Overestimates Primary Care Spending in the United States

PLAIN-LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Research Brief

The General Public Vastly Overestimates Primary Care Spending in the U.S. by More Than Tenfold, Study Finds

Background and Goal: Despite its foundational importance to health outcomes, primary care in the United States accounts for only 4.7% of total health care expenditures. This study, based on an online survey of 1,135 adults demographically representative of the U.S. population, aimed to measure public perceptions of primary care spending.

Key Insights: Respondents estimated that primary care addresses 58.7% of U.S. health care needs. However, participants believed that 51.8% of overall health care spending goes to primary care—more than 10 times the documented share of 4.7%.

Why It Matters: Chronic underinvestment in primary care has resulted in workforce shortages, physician burnout, reduced access, and suboptimal care. Access to high-quality primary care has been associated with better population health and more equitable outcomes. The substantial overestimation of primary care spending by the public highlights the need for increased patient and public engagement and education to rally additional state and national support for policy changes that affirm the essential role of primary care in the health care system.

The General Public Vastly Overestimates Primary Care Spending in the United States

Melissa Ma, BS, et al

School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California