Harvard Pilgrim provides more than $3 million in support to primary care practices

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care has announced their commitment to provide more than $3 million to support independent primary care practices in New England.

According to a news release, the funds meant for practices in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Maine as part of Harvard Pilgrim’s mission of improving the quality and value of healthcare for the patients and communities it serves.

The organization also announced that 120 Connecticut independent primary care practices will receive $10,000 to help them in providing safe access to care including the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE), reconfiguring their facilities to help with physical distancing guidelines, supporting telehealth infrastructure, and other necessary measures, the release says.

The practices supported with these funds are, on average, small, physician-owned, and many have limited access to capital or other external support assisting them through the pandemic. Despite the recent easing of PPE shortages, many practices are still forced to explore expensive venues or utilize multiple vendors in their purchases due to the supply chain’s favor for larger systems with greater buying power. Meanwhile, many practices do not have the resources or infrastructure to bring telehealth fully into the fold, according to the release.

"Our financial support of these independent primary care practices is crucial, as many of our members, especially those with chronic medical conditions, utilize these practices as their only source of medical care," Michael Carson, president and CEO of Harvard Pilgrim, says in the release. "Without these practices, many patients, especially those living in rural communities, could have limited access to health care.Further, independent primary care practices are serving a critical role during the pandemic, testing patients for COVID-19, providing care for those living with the long-term effects of the virus, and in the future, administering the COVID-19 vaccine to patients when it is available."