Primary Care or Primary Problem? Aligning Access Pathways with Patient Needs Across the Care Continuum

In the United States, access to healthcare is shaped not only by patient need but also by payer policies that determine which providers are reimbursable, how care is sequenced, and what constitutes a legitimate entry point into the system. These gatekeeping functions, while valuable for supporting clinical prioritization, risk stratification, and continuity of care, can also unintentionally reinforce structural inequities and credential hierarchies that delay or limit timely and equitable care, particularly for historically marginalized populations. While reform efforts often focus on expanding benefits or provider networks, fewer address the underlying design of access itself or the rules that govern how patients enter care. It is argued in this paper that a more equitable and efficient healthcare system requires multi-entry care models, in which nurses, behavioral health clinicians, pharmacists, and community health workers may serve as condition-appropriate, reimbursable first points of contact within coordinated care teams. Drawing on evidence from Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Health Administration, and commercial payers, these models may support cost containment, improve care coordination, facilitate appropriate utilization, and promote earlier patient engagement. While findings from these models are not uniform across all settings, evidence suggests that outcomes are highly dependent on implementation context, system design, and supporting infrastructure. When implemented with appropriate safeguards (such as interoperable health records, team-based care requirements, and coordinated referral tracking), multi-entry systems can preserve continuity while expanding access. Payers are uniquely positioned to lead this transformation by aligning reimbursement policy with patient needs, supporting team-based care infrastructure, and embedding accountability into access pathways, thereby creating a system that can be more responsive, inclusive, and sustainable.