Build primary care into the plan’s first line of strategy

A low score in primary care and early intervention is rarely solved by simply adding another benefit. It is a signal to examine whether employees have a trusted, practical front door to care before a concern becomes an urgent, fragmented or high-cost episode.

Start in the Roadmap’s Diagnose phase by reviewing how employees use care today. Look at avoidable emergency-department use, preventive-care patterns, chronic-condition needs, appointment access, referral pathways and the experience employees have when they need help. This identifies where the plan is creating friction instead of earlier support.

In the Design phase, define the role primary care should play in the broader care strategy. Consider access, continuity, virtual and in-person options, incentives, navigation and the connection to behavioral health and specialty care. The objective is to make the right first step easier for employees—not to treat primary care as an isolated program.

Make performance visible through the leadership review cadence. Agree on the access, utilization, experience and outcome measures that show whether employees are reaching care earlier, then hold partners accountable for improvement. This turns a high-priority Score result into a durable Roadmap action that supports better healthcare and more sustainable cost.