Leveraging Accountable Care to Sustain Primary Care Practices Through COVID-19

COVID-19 has created innumerable challenges for the healthcare system, some of which may seem a bit counterintuitive. While emergency departments are overloaded and ICUs are at critical capacity, the waiting rooms of primary care practices (PCPs) are empty. 
 
Millions of patients have delayed or avoided care during the pandemic due to fears of exposure or inability to pay. These decisions have had a cascade of consequences. In addition to jeopardizing patient health, dramatically lower service volumes are putting the squeeze on the financial sustainability of many primary care clinics. With a three-pronged approach to stabilizing practice finances, primary care providers can continue to serve their communities in a time of unmet need.