Primary care has been underfunded for years, hurting low-income communities most. This lack of investment is one of the core problems affecting access to quality primary care in the United States: It impacts both patients and providers, leading to low-quality care, poor health outcomes, and an overburdened and burnt-out workforce that loses experienced professionals and has trouble attracting new ones.

This 2025 fact sheet highlights the importance of investing in primary care to support the health of low-income communities. When it is available, accessible, and affordable, primary care helps keep families healthy, children ready to learn, and adults able to pursue education and participate in the workforce. Primary care has not only been shown to reduce overall health care costs but is the only part of the health system that has been proven to lengthen lives and reduce inequities at the population level.2 Deliberately investing in primary care is one of the most effective ways to achieve those goals.