While many employers have leaned into advanced primary care (a comprehensive model that prioritizes prevention and chronic disease management) to improve employee health and the member experience, our new report finds that achieving the full potential of advanced primary care (APC) often requires ongoing commitment by employers.

Our latest report, “Time to Adjust: Setting Realistic Expectations for Advanced Primary Care Success,” provides employers with steps to effectively design and implement APC programs, as well as strategies to track leading indicators of success to maximize the impact of their APC programs. We recommend employers define success by both long-term cost savings as well as early indicators like increased engagement, higher rates of preventive screenings, greater follow-up care, and reduced avoidable ER visits – all signals of movement in the right direction.

Key findings include:

• Long-Term Commitment Is Essential: APC can deliver improved health outcomes and potential cost savings, but these results often take time to fully emerge. Employers should maintain their investments rather than expect immediate results.
• Tracking Early Progress Is Critical: Monitoring early indicators – like employee engagement, follow-up care, and preventive screenings – can help employers assess program success and adjust as needed.
• Everyone Plays a Role: Incentives for employees and performance guarantees for vendors can accelerate progress toward shared health and cost goals.
• Act with Intention: Setting clear goals, prioritizing leading indicators, ensuring access to unbiased data, and fostering employee engagement are essential for successful APC implementation and maximizing return on investment.

Read the full report here.