New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. joins the Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) at a City Hall news conference on December 7, 2007 to announce the release of a new study by the PCDC, “New York’s Primary Care Reimbursement—A Roadmap to Better Outcomes.” Photo credit: Archer Hutchinson

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New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. today issued the following statement at a news conference held by the Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) to release a study reporting massive provider financial losses on each patient visit in New York City neighborhoods.

“The PCDC report shows just how poorly we are spending our money on what should be our top healthcare priority: primary and preventive care,” Thompson said. “Providing primary and preventive care saves lives and money. PCDC’s report shows that unless Albany addresses our backward primary care reimbursement system, it will remain nearly impossible for us to provide the services that New York City families need.”

The study titled, “New York’s Primary Care Reimbursement—A Roadmap to Better Outcomes,” details losses ranging from $28 to as much as $226 per patient visit on primary care delivery and a payment structure that offers widely different compensation often for the same exact services. In an attempt to survive, providers scramble to find grants and other revenues to fill the gap.

In September, Comptroller Thompson issued a report finding that residents of several of the poorest neighborhoods in New York City are more likely to suffer from heart disease, cancer and diabetes than those in wealthier communities.

You can view Thompson’s analysis and today’s full release by the PCDC at www.comptroller.nyc.gov.

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