Help your clients prioritize primary care at Kinwell for better outcomes and lower costs
Primary care is often viewed as the cornerstone of our healthcare system. It’s the visual we get when we hear ‘talk to your doctor,’ but for many, access to primary care providers (PCPs) has become incredibly limited. For employer clients with Premera Blue Cross or Premera Blue Cross HMO health plans, access to high-performing primary care starts at Kinwell.
What is Kinwell primary care?
Kinwell primary care is a provider system with 16 clinics located throughout Washington state and a statewide virtual clinic.
Kinwell’s approach to primary care is unique because it is built on relationships. Through integrated care teams, behavioral health support, and convenient access to services, Kinwell delivers quality outcomes while lowering healthcare costs.
Who can go to Kinwell?
Members with a Premera Blue Cross/Premera Blue Cross HMO health plan can establish care with a Kinwell PCP. Members of those plans who also reside in Washington state can access the statewide virtual clinic. The Kinwell virtual clinic is an excellent option for follow-up appointments or urgent care needs.
Unlike many providers in Washington state, Kinwell can see members sooner rather than later.
- 90% of members are seen within 30 days
- 67% of members are seen within 10 days
Need care sooner? The Kinwell Virtual Care clinic can often see patients same or next-day.
Better outcomes and total cost of care go hand in hand
Utilization of primary care has long since been associated with lower total cost of care and improved outcomes. Here’s some ways primary care makes a difference:
- Routine preventive care can catch little problems before they become bigger and more costly problems
- Comprehensive care and coordination among specialists can avoid duplicate testing and unnecessary visits to specialists saving money for employers and members
- Management of chronic disease including medication support, individualized care plans, specialist coordination, and reduced use of the emergency room
Did you know?
Nationally, adults who regularly see a PCP have 33% lower health care costs compared to those without a PCP.1 For adults with chronic conditions, their healthcare costs can be nearly 54% lower when they see a PCP compared to those that don’t.2
For self-funded groups, PCP utilization among members can have a direct impact on their bottom line. For OptiFlex and fully insured groups, PCP utilization represents an opportunity to keep premiums sustainable. In Washington state, across Premera/PBC HMO members, Kinwell primary care performs 7-10% better on total cost of care compared to other primary care providers in Washington state.
Leveraging health plans to promote primary care
Premera Blue Cross/Premera Blue Cross HMO health plans and products encourage the use of primary care by members.
- Most small group health plans have a lower cost share when a member sees their designated PCP. Savings range from $20-60 on copays depending on the plan type.
- Small group and Premera Pathfinder plans (51+) include automatic PCP designation. This takes away a lot of the heavy lifting for the member on finding a PCP. Members can change their PCP at any time.
- Premera Pathfinder plans (51+) offer $5 primary care office visit copays. Your employer groups will see even greater total cost of care savings when members use primary care providers at Kinwell.
- Kinwell Connect guides members to advanced primary care by offering zero-dollar cost shares for office visits at Kinwell.3 Kinwell Connect is embedded with all OptiFlex funded plans (51+) and available as an opt-in for self-funded groups.
Supporting members outside of Washington state
Primary care is valuable to all our members no matter where they reside. Members outside of Washington state can find primary care providers in their area using the Find Care tool on premera.com. We recommend members sign-in to their secure accounts for the most accurate results.
To learn more about how Kinwell can support your client’s health plan strategy, contact your Premera representative.
2 https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/08/primary-care-linked-to-lower-health-care-costs/
3 Members on high-deductible health plans receive the zero-dollar cost share benefit when their deductible has been met.