A recent study published in Health Affairs discovered a substantial increase in the focus on preventive care during primary care visits, particularly among Medicare beneficiaries, experiencing an almost two-fold increase between 2001 and 2019.

The study, based on data extracted from the 2001-2019 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), delved into the transformation of the share of primary care visits emphasizing preventive care over the years. Significantly, regular preventive check-ups are crucial for building enduring relationships between patients and healthcare providers, and they contribute to improving intermediate health indicators such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and body mass index.

Among the key findings, the percentage of primary care visits with a preventive care focus witnessed a substantial surge from 12.8% in 2001 to 24.6% in 2019. The expansion encompassed individuals of all age brackets and covered various insurance types, with Medicare beneficiaries witnessing the most notable rise.

The examination, which scrutinized 139,783 office visits to primary care physicians, unveiled that the percentage of primary care visits reimbursed by Medicare increased from 27.6% in 2001 to 37.7% in 2019. Consequently, the prevalence of preventive visits in the United States escalated from 295.9 visits per 1,000 people in 2001 to 463.2 visits per 1,000 people in 2019, with the most prominent rise observed in individuals aged 65 and older.

Primary care visits with a preventive care focus consistently surpassed the duration of problem-based visits throughout the study period. Notably, preventive visits provided healthcare professionals with more time to deliver evidence-based counseling and other preventive services. In the course of these preventive appointments, physicians were more likely to provide guidance on diverse topics like diet and nutrition, exercise, tobacco use, mental health, psychotherapy, or stress management, as opposed to visits centered around specific health issues.

Furthermore, the research emphasized that primary care physicians exhibited a greater tendency to request screening labs and conduct preventive imaging or procedures in the context of preventive visits compared to visits focused on specific health problems. The increasing prevalence of preventive visits aligns with the positive impact of insurance coverage policies, emphasizing the role of policy initiatives like the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA, enacted in 2011, mandated Medicare to fully cover patients’ annual preventive exams, contributing to the notable upswing in preventive visits, particularly among Medicare beneficiaries.