Report: 29% of young adults don't have a primary care provider

Source Summary

<p>Less than three-quarters of the nation's young adults have a primary care provider, a trend that researchers from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center say could impair patient engagement and care coordination down the road.</p> <p>According to a <a href="https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/mediaroom/pressreleaselisting/primary-care-101">survey</a> of just over 1,000 U.S. adults, only 71% of those aged 18-29 reported having a primary care provider. That's compared to 97% of those over age 65 who said the same.</p> <p>On the surface, those numbers may not be surprising. Young adults have significantly fewer healthcare needs compared to the Medicare population. But according to Zachary Bittinger, M.D., a family medicine provider and professor at Wexner, it's a misconception that young people don't need primary care.</p> <p>"Having a primary care doctor is especially important when we're young," Bittinger said in a statement. "We look ahead five years, 10 years and 20 years, because that's ideally how long you see your primary care doctor. That kind of relationship means that for each stage of life, from college to raising children to retirement, you get the kind of advice that keeps you safe."</p> <p>Even among the 29% of young adults who have a primary care provider, healthcare access is falling through the cracks. Among this group, only 47% have had an annual physical exam within the past year. Instead, about a third of young adults <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366584101/Retail-health-clinic-utilization-climbed-by-202-by-2022">visit urgent care clinics</a> when they have a medical need.</p> <p>This means around 53% of young adults have potentially missed key preventive care and screenings.</p> <p>According to Bittinger, primary care visits -- even among young adults who are not yet eligible for many cancer screenings -- are integral for creating a baseline of health. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366638871/Report-Having-a-PCP-improves-chronic-disease-prevention-management">Physical exams help detect any early warning signs of chronic disease</a> and provide a forum for patient education and care coordination, he added.</p> <p>"My young, healthy patients might be the picture of health, but they might not know they're behind on their tetanus shot because it's been 10 years," Bittinger said. "They might not know that it's time for their first Pap test. There are lots of things that crop up that we see coming in primary care from a long way away."</p> <p>These findings come as the U.S. stares down a primary and preventive care problem. Earlier this year, the Prevent Cancer Foundation <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366641055/Cancer-screening-rates-dip-in-US-as-cost-concerns-deter-access">reported</a> that nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults of any age are behind on their routine cancer screenings. That's up 4% from 2025, the group said.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/feature/What-does-usual-source-of-care-mean-in-healthcare">Primary care providers</a> are often considered the quarterbacks of patient care. As Bittinger mentioned, they are instrumental in educating patients about when they become eligible for certain cancer screenings and helping to fill care gaps.</p> <p>Without longstanding relationships with a primary care provider, it becomes easy for patients to slip through the cracks. Indeed, the Prevent Cancer Foundation found that 42% of those behind on a cancer screening didn't know they were due. Another 36% said they didn't get one because they had no family history of the disease and therefore thought it was unnecessary.</p> <p>In those cases, a primary care provider would be instrumental in educating patients and coordinating their care.</p> <p>As industry experts work to connect more patients with primary care, it will be integral for them to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366584614/US-Approach-to-Primary-Care-Access-Struggles-Is-Disjointed">examine policy solutions</a>. Primary care is underfunded and facing a growing workforce shortage, making it harder than ever for patients to obtain appointments.</p> <p>Meanwhile, cost pressures will continue to mount for patients, especially young folks who might find it easier to justify going without primary care. With insurance premiums slated to spike across payer types, young patients might also be inclined to forgo insurance or choose less comprehensive plans, further pushing healthcare access out of reach.</p> <p><em>Sara Heath is an executive editor at Xtelligent Healthcare Media, where she covers patient engagement, healthcare policy and health IT.</em></p>