HCAI launches health‑of‑primary‑care snapshot project; phased rollout in 2026‑2027

HCAI staff introduced a new initiative to assemble a statewide snapshot of primary‑care performance across five domains — investment, workforce, access, quality and equity — pulling existing data from HCAI offices, sibling state agencies and national sources.

Margaretta Abrant and Debbie Lindes described a phased plan: (1) publish an HCAI brief early in 2026 outlining the approach and indicator inventory; (2) release a static snapshot report in fall 2026 with a concise set of indicators and regional breakdowns where feasible; and (3) launch an interactive dashboard with annual updates in 2027. Staff stressed the brief will not collect new data but will analyze and curate existing California and national measures, and that stakeholder engagement (a 17‑member snapshot workgroup and broader consultations) will inform indicator selection and presentation.

Board members recommended indicators that capture continuity of care (longitudinal patient‑provider relationships), geographic and population disaggregation to surface disparities, and metrics linking primary‑care investment to outcomes and payment parity (for example commercial to Medicare payment ratios). HCAI staff said HPD is exploring continuity measures and that the office will coordinate with CalPERS, Covered California and other state entities.

HCAI plans outreach and technical engagement with stakeholders, and CHCF will support communications and dissemination. The board expressed broad support for the initiative and asked staff to emphasize actionable, equity‑sensitive indicators.