Minnesota invested the most in primary care among 29 states examined in a new analysis.
The Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative's 2019 Evidence Report, "Investing in Primary Care: A State-Level Analysis," looked at how much public and private payers in states spent on primary care from 2011 through 2016, using data from the latest HHS medical expenditure panel survey.
For the analysis, researchers considered both broad and narrow definitions for investment in primary care. The narrow definition involved spending by public and private payers related to primary care physicians in offices and outpatient settings. The broad definition included primary care physicians in offices and outpatient settings but also other primary care clinical team workers such as nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, OB-GYNs and behavioral health professionals.
Here is the percent of primary care spending by state for 2011 to 2016, based on the researchers' narrow definition:
Minnesota: 7.6 percent
Oklahoma: 6.7 percent
Texas: 6.3 percent
Alabama: 6.2 percent
Wisconsin: 6.2 percent
California: 6.1 percent
Washington: 5.9 percent
North Carolina: 5.9 percent
Florida: 5.7 percent
Georgia: 5.7 percent
Virginia: 5.7 percent
Oregon: 5.6 percent
Maryland: 5.5 percent
Louisiana: 5.3 percent
Arizona: 5.2 percent
Colorado: 5 percent
Illinois: 5 percent
New York: 5 percent
South Carolina: 5 percent
Massachusetts: 4.8 percent
Tennessee: 4.8 percent
Indiana: 4.7 percent
Michigan: 4.7 percent
Missouri: 4.6 percent
New Jersey: 4.6 percent
Ohio: 4.6 percent
Kentucky: 4.5 percent
Pennsylvania: 4.2 percent
Connecticut: 3.5 percent
Here is the percent primary care spend by state for 2011 to 2016, based on the researchers' broad definition:
Minnesota: 14 percent
Missouri: 11.7 percent
Wisconsin: 11.1 percent
Oregon: 10.9 percent
Massachusetts: 10.9 percent
Alabama: 10.8 percent
California: 10.8 percent
Oklahoma: 10.7 percent
Colorado: 10.6 percent
Connecticut: 10.6 percent
Washington: 10.1 percent
Texas: 10 percent
Virginia: 10 percent
Kentucky: 10 percent
North Carolina: 10 percent
New York: 10 percent
Indiana: 9.7 percent
Maryland: 9.6 percent
Georgia: 9.6 percent
Illinois: 9 percent
Michigan: 9 percent
Florida: 8.8 percent
Tennessee: 8.8 percent
Ohio: 8.7 percent
Arizona: 8.7 percent
Pennsylvania: 8.5 percent
Louisiana: 8.3 percent
South Carolina: 8.3 percent
New Jersey: 8.2 percent
Read the full analysis here.
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