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Better access to primary care services for seniors can help address racial and socio-economic disparities.

That’s according to a recently published study from Humana Healthcare Research and Harvard University.

For ambulatory surgery center (ASC) operators, the research suggests that they have their own role to play in care models aimed toward preventative care for seniors, too.

“We’re seeking to ensure that patients see specialists, and what we often find is that these specialist groups are being very progressive in how they address the full spectrum of needs for their senior patients,” Dr. Vivek Garg, CenterWell Senior Primary Care chief medical officer and co-author on the study, told ASC News. 

Humana (NYSE: HUM) is one of the largest health insurers in the U.S. In addition to its Medicare Advantage (MA) business, the company has heavily invested in care delivery models in recent years, with examples being home health care and senior-focused primary care.

Published in Health Affairs, Humana’s study, in collaboration with Harvard University, analyzed data from over 462,000 MA beneficiaries. The results demonstrated that seniors in senior-focused primary care organizations had 17% more primary care visits compared to those in traditional primary care settings. 

“Access is a major part of what any patient needs, especially seniors, so that they can be seen,” Garg said. “There’s also a frequency of care that’s important for maintaining health, understanding issues, and working with the senior so that they can get on the right trajectory.”

For Black and low-income beneficiaries, the numbers were even more substantial, with Black patients experiencing 39% more primary care visits, while low-income beneficiaries had 21% more visits than their counterparts in traditional primary care settings.

These findings are particularly important in reducing health disparities, Garg said.

“I think the key takeaways from the study are how it looks at Black seniors and their primary care access, engagement, quality and health outcomes, as well as subsidy-eligible seniors in Los Angeles,” he said. “We see an even greater magnitude of impact on primary care access and engagement. We look at quality metrics, like whether people are getting their cancer screenings, if their blood pressure or diabetes is under control, and their need for the ER or hospital care downstream.”

In 2021, Humana  launched CenterWell Senior Primary Care. Currently, CenterWell operates over 300 clinics in 15 states, offering comprehensive, high-access, senior-focused primary care.

Implications for ASC operators

For ASC operators, this study reinforces the importance of integrated care models, particularly for senior patients who often require comprehensive, coordinated care for chronic conditions, Garg said.

Senior-focused primary care organizations can provide more holistic services, including same-day appointments and access to multidisciplinary teams. 

This approach leads to earlier intervention, potentially reducing the need for emergency surgeries and optimizing post-operative outcomes by addressing the complex health needs of older adults before they become critical, Garg said. 

Specialists might partner with an ASC and take a programmatic approach to determining who needs what type of intervention and when, as well as identifying the best site of care, Garg added. 

“That’s one connection where, if we find outpatient specialty groups that are truly robust in their care delivery and an ASC is part of that picture, we want to partner with them to make sure our seniors receive the right care at the right time in the right place,” he said.