Milliman was commissioned by New York Health Foundation to study the association between primary care and a set of healthcare cost and utilization outcomes for the commercially insured populations in New York State. This study draws upon the health insurance claims data from Milliman and commercial databases, including approximately 1.9 million commercially insured individuals in New York State for 2023. Using a generalized linear model (GLM), the analysis estimates how increased utilization in primary care, as measured through relative value units, is associated with changes in total cost of care. The main sections of the paper include:

• Discussion of the data, featuring two primary datasets: Milliman’s Consolidated Heath Cost Guidelines Sources Database, and the Merative MarketScan Commercial Research Database
• Methodology, including primary care services definition, primary care utilization, controlling for morbidity, and addressing nonlinearity.
• Results and discussion of the GLM model and nonlinear impact of primary care

This report was commissioned by New York Health Foundation.