Main Library
A new study in Health Affairs Scholar suggests that value-based care (VBC) models, when paired with strong practice support, may help primary care practices keep their doors open to more Traditional Medicare patients — even as access shrinks nationwide.
Analyzing Medicare claims from 2019 to 2023, researchers found that primary care physicians (PCPs) who adopted a full-risk, multipayer VBC model in 2022 — with operational support from agilon health — saw an average of eight more new Traditional Medicare patients in 2023 than similar peers who remained in fee-for-service models. These physicians also kept their panels open nearly a full month longer over the course of the year.
Led by Benjamin Kornitzer, M.D.; Aaron Yao, Ph.D.; Deborah N. Peikes, Ph.D., M.P.A.; and Karthik Rao, M.D., the study compared two groups of PCPs: 208 physicians who joined the full-risk VBC model supported by agilon health, and 3,657 who did not.