HIT plays a big role in increasing quality and decreasing costs. If primary care physicians leverage EHRs they can organize and distribute data across the delivery system in real-time. So if HIT becomes more widely used it will help the whole system meet increased demand and improve access to primary care services.

Payment models that reward based on value rather than volume can also help boost access to primary care and improve care delivery. In four states UnitedHealthcare's medical home programs were deployed and there was an average third-year net savings of 6.2 percent of medical costs.


After WESTMED in New York implemented a value-based model, it boosted patient satisfaction and brought down emergency department use by 8 percent. Monarch HealthCare in Calif. also implemented that model and it enhanced the communication between the physicians and patients, raised patient satisfaction and prevented avoidable hospital readmissions.

"Through more effective use of existing resources and smarter incentives, we can bolster primary care capacity, increase access to the underserved and improve the effectiveness of care delivery across the health care system," Migliori said in a statement.

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