New York University, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service

Nationally and in New York State, we spend only about five cents of every health care dollar on primary care. Underinvestment runs counter to what we know: national research demonstrates that primary care has a high return on investment. But New York State lacks specific evidence demonstrating the effects of primary care investment in its unique health care market. There is a clear need for rigorous, objective, and New York-specific analysis to showcase the potential savings and value of primary care investment based on actual health insurance claims data. In 2024, NYHealth awarded The Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University (NYU Wagner) a grant to analyze the relationship between primary care investment and associated outcomes in health, quality, and cost savings for Medicaid health insurance claims in New York State. 

Under this grant, NYU Wagner will develop analytic frameworks and methodologies to understand the relationship between primary care investment and health outcomes. In partnership with Dartmouth researchers, NYU Wagner will conduct analyses that describe the association between primary care investment and health outcomes and expenditures, as well as assess how Medicaid health plans’ spending on primary care affects enrollees’ health care utilization and expenditures. NYU Wagner will share the findings to inform advocacy efforts and policy improvements.