RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The General Public Vastly Overestimates Primary Care Spending in the United States
JF The Annals of Family Medicine
JO Ann Fam Med
FD American Academy of Family Physicians
SP 240413
DO 10.1370/afm.240413
A1 Ma, Melissa
A1 Etz, Rebecca
A1 Bazemore, Andrew
A1 Grumbach, Kevin
YR 2025
UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/early/2025/02/05/afm.240413.abstract
AB This study assessed public perceptions of US primary care spending. An online survey was conducted using SurveyMonkey Audience (Symphony Technology Group), achieving a sample of 1,135 adult respondents reflective of the demographic distribution of the US adult population. Respondents’ mean estimate of the percentage of US health care spending funding primary care was 51.8% (SD 24.8, interquartile range [IQR] 40). Respondents’ mean estimate of the percentage of health care needs addressed by primary care was 58.7% (SD 22.2, IQR 28.5) These results reveal a tremendous disparity between current levels of primary care spending (4.7%) and public perceptions of primary care expenditure and value.