PrimaryCare26 Introduces Triple Double Campaign to Strengthen Investment, Access and Workforce 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 14, 2026

Media Contact:
pr@aafp.org

Washington, D.C. – Americans are paying more for health care than ever before, yet too many still struggle to find a trusted primary care clinician, get timely appointments or manage chronic conditions before they become larger medical problems.

As the leading convener of primary care organizations, Primary Care for America today hosted the launch of the Triple Double Campaign — a bold, national effort to strengthen the foundation of the U.S. health care system by doubling investment in primary care, doubling access to primary care and doubling the next generation of primary care clinicians. The campaign is a joint effort from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) with partner organizations from across the health care ecosystem.

The campaign is rooted in the research that when people have access to primary care, they live healthier lives, avoid unnecessary hospital visits and spend less on health care. Despite being one of the most effective tools for improving health outcomes, primary care accounts for roughly 35 percent of health care visits but only 3–6 percent of total health care spending.

“Community Health Centers are our nation’s largest primary care system, serving 52 million patients — 1 in 7 Americans, including 1 in 3 in rural America,” said Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP, President and CEO of NACHC. “The Triple Double Campaign is about investing in the future of America's health care system: investing more in primary care, reaching more people, and training more clinicians. We must double the national investment in primary so we can save lives and money in every community we serve.”

The Triple Double campaign advances three connected goals:

• Double the investment in primary care from 5% to 10% of health care spending to support comprehensive, high-quality preventive care. Greater investment allows for care teams to spend more time preventing disease, not just treating illness.
• Double primary care reach from 10% to 20% of Americans served annually, starting with community health centers, so more people can receive timely, affordable care in their communities. More than 50 million Americans rely on community health centers, demonstrating a proven model for expanding access and reducing strain on the broader health system.
• Double the next generation of primary care clinicians from 20% to 40% of those choosing to work in primary care, helping ensure that patients in every community can access timely, continuous care while addressing growing workforce shortages.

“For years, we have been asking why health care costs keep climbing while patients face fewer options. If primary care is the front door to the health system, we've allowed that front door to become harder to find and harder to open when patients need the exact opposite,” said R. Shawn Martin, EVP and CEO of the AAFP. “The Triple Double campaign is a practical roadmap to build a health system that delivers better care and better outcomes for every American. Health organizations, federal and state policymakers have a key role to play to strengthen the workforce, expand access and make sure patients can access care before small problems become big ones.”

More information on the Triple Double can be found on Primary Care for America’s website. To learn more, visit https://www.primarycareforamerica.org/goals/. 

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About the Triple Double 

The Triple Double: Investment. Access. Workforce. Doubled. is a campaign focused on strengthening primary care through three connected goals: doubling investment in primary care, doubling access to primary care and doubling the next generation primary care workforce. The campaign brings together the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) — founding partners of Primary Care for America — alongside a growing movement of organizations, thought leaders including Ariadne Labs, and state leaders working to strengthen primary care at every level. By uniting the broader primary care community around shared goals, the Triple Double campaign is building momentum for stronger primary care investment, expanded access and a workforce prepared to meet the needs of every community.

About the American Academy of Family Physicians
The AAFP is the largest national association of family physicians, representing 124,500 physicians and medical students. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on impactful care for people of all ages, races and genders across all medical conditions. The AAFP supports every stage of a family physician's career and provides evidence-based resources, advocacy and community to empower family medicine. To learn more, visit aafp.org. For information about health care, medical conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s patient education website, familydoctor.org.

About the National Association of Community Health Centers

NACHC’s mission is to champion Community Health Centers delivering affordable, effective, comprehensive primary care that is community-driven and improves health for all. For more information, visit www.nachc.org.

About Primary Care for America

Primary Care for America’s goal is to re-establish and elevate primary care as a foundation for individual and community health and to return to ongoing patient-primary care relationships to improve health outcomes and reduce costs. Primary Care for America advocates in partnership with innovative primary care organizations, united in our goal to provide high-quality, comprehensive, accessible primary care to all patients.