1 in 4 young adults don’t have a primary care provider, survey finds

More than 1 in 4 young adults don’t have a primary care provider, according to a national survey by the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (Source: “More than 25% of Gen Z patients don’t have doctors. Experts weigh in on the cost of skipping care,” CNN, July 14).
 
For Gen Zers who do have a physician, most skip scheduled checkups or don’t schedule them: Only 47% of 18- to 29-year-olds said they have had an annual wellness visit in the past year, according to the national survey findings, released June 29.
 
Many Gen Zers instead turn to their local urgent care clinic for non-emergency-related health issues, with 36% looking first to an immediate care facility, the survey found.
 
Skipping doctor visits in early adulthood could have severe consequences, experts say, noting that missed prevention opportunities earlier in life can lead to greater chances of developing later-in-life diseases and conditions.
 
The survey’s findings are “consistent with results from other studies about young adults being less likely to have a primary care doctor,” said Dr. Russell Phillips, founding director of the Center for Primary Care at Harvard Medical School.
 
“Access is getting increasingly difficult for primary care,” he said.