Primary care vital for patients

Now that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is law, federal agencies are developing the policies, regulations and funding that will implement many of its provisions.
It is estimated that 32 million additional Americans will become insured when the law's mandated insurance provision, along with federal subsidies for low-income individuals, take effect in 2014. This influx of newly-insured individuals is expected to substantially increase demand for health care, especially primary care.
Effective primary care improves health and helps to control care costs. Primary care is the ideal entry point into the health care system, rather than costly hospital emergency departments. Primary care encompasses disease screening, diagnosis and treatment of many medical conditions, education of patients, and management of some chronic illnesses as well as when to refer a patient to a specialist. From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100727/OPINION01/7270315/1008/opinion01/Primary-care-vital-for-patients#ixzz0uudrRsMM