Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

This study analyzes the relationship between Ontario primary care models and primary care costs and health care costs. It focuses on the payment mechanisms for primary care physicians and the working environment (multidisciplinary team). Utilization data was taken from administrative databases for a 10% sample selected at random from the Ontario adult population. Analyses were conducted using both log-transformed ordinary least squares and generalized linear model regressions. Using the traditional Fee-for-Service (FFS) as the reference, we found that patients in the enhanced-FFS models had the lowest health care costs, and also lower primary care costs; patients in the blended capitation models had lower health care costs but higher primary care costs. Results suggest that the mixed payment methods introduced in Ontario could lead to lower health care costs. The higher primary care costs in the blended capitation appear to be offset since overall health care costs are lower.