NEW POLL & REPORT: Americans Highly Prioritize Primary Care – A Clear Mandate for Bipartisan Action to Address Affordability & Access

Washington, D.C. — Today, new findings released from United States of Care (USofCare) reveal that while a majority of people have received primary care services recently, access and affordability barriers remain. Through national polling and focus groups, USofCare found that the majority of adults recognize the value and benefit from primary care, but cost and access remain significant barriers for young people, rural communities, and people of color.

Key insights from the national poll include: 

• While three-fourths of adults (74%) have received primary care services in the past 2 years, those numbers fall for young people, and people of color.
  • Only 59% of Gen-Zers and 66% of Millennials received primary care services in the past 2 years. 
  • Only 62% of Hispanic respondents, 65% of AAPI+ respondents, and 68% of Black respondents received primary care services in the past 2 years. 
• Among adults who have not received primary care in the past 2 years, over one-fourth (26%) say they cannot afford it.
  • Rural adults (32%) are more likely to report being unable to afford primary care, compared to urban (21%) and suburban (24%) adults. 
• People are largely satisfied with their primary care experience, with 92% of respondents reporting satisfaction with their primary care services.
• Hispanic (77%), Black (73%), and AAPI+ (72%) adults find comprehensive understanding of cultural, linguistic, and individual differences important in their primary care experiences.  
• Among adults dissatisfied with primary care, 26% reported feeling rushed during appointments, and 23% felt providers did not spend enough time with them. 

Key quotes from focus groups include: 

• “I’m [in] a border town in South Texas. Closest hospital is 80 miles away North and we struggle as far as healthcare…being a border town, we get a lot of immigration. It’s a small town so people rely on each other to go back and forth and rely on supplies and healthcare.” – Latino man, age 26 – 30, rural Texas
• “The one thing I always hate is when I go and I share my symptoms [and] the first thing they always say is exercise and diet. I do exercise regularly, so it seems like that’s always their solution to any little problem. But the last time I went, I finally had a doctor who finally listened to me and was like, ‘Okay, yes you do work out so let’s do more thorough labs.’” – Youth focus group participant 
• “For me it would be the cost of living. Where I’m at, it’s very expensive to live and I live in a pretty good county. I feel like I make decent money, but it also feels like I don’t because it’s just so expensive to buy groceries, to pay the mortgage or whatever it is. It’s [health care] just unattainable and you’re supposed to save for a 401(k), but how am I supposed to do that when I can barely afford to eat today?” – Latina woman, age 26 – 30, Maryland
• “We recently lost one of our hospitals here. It’s fortunate that I’m able to drive to health care, which is whichever way I go. If I go North or West, it’s going to be an hour. But there’s a large community of older folks here, or older than me. And a lot of them don’t drive and you may see them next door trying to get a ride to a doctor’s appointment or something.” – Black woman, age 50 – 60, rural South Carolina

“When people are able to afford primary care, they’re often satisfied with the care they’re getting. But far too often, primary care is just too expensive or inaccessible – especially for rural communities, young people, and people of color,” said Kristin Wikelius, Chief Program Officer at United States of Care. “Our policymakers should hear what people are telling us and take steps to make primary care more affordable, accessible, and culturally responsive.” 

National Poll Methodology
This poll was conducted by Morning Consult between August 29-September 6, 2024 among a stratified sample of 3,306 adults which includes oversamples of Rural (N = 550) and BIPOC (N = 550) adults. The interviews were conducted online and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, gender, race, educational attainment, region, gender by age, and race by educational attainment. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Focus Groups Methodology
Two focus groups were conducted in partnership with HIT Strategies on October 9, 2024 via the online platform Discuss.io: one with adults who self-reported that they live in a rural area and the other with young adults aged 18–30.

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About United States of Care
United States of Care is a nonpartisan organization committed to ensuring that everyone has access to quality, affordable health care.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Adam Wilkerson
(314) 852-7718
awilkerson@usofcare.org