Time to Rebuild Primary Care

In the Wall Street Journal (1/22) Doctor's Office column, Benjamin Brewer, MD, writes, "It's high time to build a modern primary care system that meets the needs of all Americans. It won't be easy and will require an uncomfortable discussion about medical costs and benefits. But judging from Mr. Obama's inaugural address, he may be the man to get change started." Brewer calls for adequate funding of primary care, and an "overhaul of Medicare, so our medical system gets the results we deserve for the money we're spending." Moreover, he writes, "Decades of research have shown that good primary care reduces costs and improves outcomes, yet we have ignored these fundamental facts to our detriment. I see this blind spot as the biggest flaw in our current system."