Why It Matters

The Primary Care Collaborative is investing heavily to lobby on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care providers. They are advocating for hybrid payment models that blend fee-for-service with population-based payments. Their focus aligns with active legislative efforts, including the Kids’ Access to Primary Care Act and the Primary Care Enhancement Act of 2025.

By the Numbers

The PCC’s new engagement with Venn Strategies LLC brings a firm with substantial scale—over 1,400 disclosures and more than $83 million in cumulative lobbying fees.

The registered lobbyists—Elizabeth Lee and Margaret Peterson French—bring bipartisan congressional access through prior work for Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) and Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). French’s previous advocacy for America’s Physician Groups on alternative payment models gives the PCC direct expertise in the policy mechanisms it seeks to influence.

Lee, registered since 2015, brings pharmaceutical and academic medicine expertise through clients including Eli Lilly & Co. and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. French, registered since 2017, specializes in Medicare/Medicaid policy and alternative payment models, with relevant experience advocating for physician groups on MACRA implementation.

The Agenda

The Primary Care Collaborative is lobbying Congress on reforms to "primary care payments" across Health Issues and Medicare/Medicaid policy areas. Specific priorities include supporting Direct Primary Care (DPC) models, Medicaid payment floors for primary care services, and hybrid payment arrangements that blend fee-for-service with population-based payments.

Broader Context

Congress is actively advancing bipartisan primary care reform amid a documented physician shortage crisis. The Kids’ Access to Primary Care Act would establish Medicaid payment floors equivalent to Medicare rates, while the Primary Care Enhancement Act of 2025 would allow Health Savings Account use for Direct Primary Care arrangements.

Recent House Judiciary hearings documented a significant physician pay gap—primary care physicians earn roughly $277,000 annually compared to $394,000 for specialists—contributing to workforce shortages. A bipartisan coalition including Rep. Kim Schrier, Rep. Dan Crenshaw, Rep. Brittany Pettersen, and Rep. Lloyd Smucker has championed reform legislation.

Competitive Landscape

Several organizations are actively lobbying on overlapping issues. The American Academy of Home Care Medicine advocates for improved Medicare payment for in-home primary care services. MDVIP Inc. and the Direct Primary Care Coalition both support the Primary Care Enhancement Act. This ecosystem creates opportunities for coalition-building around shared legislative goals.

The Bottom Line

The Primary Care Collaborative’s hiring of Venn Strategies adds experienced healthcare lobbyists with bipartisan congressional ties to advance payment reforms. The engagement occurs as multiple bipartisan bills addressing primary care physician shortages and payment reform are actively moving through the 119th Congress.

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