Diane R. Rittenhouse, MD, MPH; Andrew W. Bazemore, MD, MPH; Zachary J. Morgan, MS; Lars E. Peterson, MD, PhD
Corresponding Author: Diane Rittenhouse, MD, MPH; Mathematica. Email: drittenhouse@mathematica-mpr.com
Section: Policy Brief
Publication: September 16, 2021
The rise of health system and hospital ownership of primary care practices raises policy questions about the survival of independent physician-owned practices. Our data indicate that a substantial proportion of FPs in 2017-2019 remained in independently owned practice: 81% of solo practitioners and 35% of FPs in practices with 2-5 clinicians. These findings suggest that independent practice is surviving, and that it’s incumbent on researchers, payers, and policymakers to better understand their unique contributions and challenges in the effort to improve primary care access, quality, and cost.