Report on the PRIMUS/NAVCARE Programs

All three of the military medical departments have implemented contract primary care clinics under the Primary Care for the Uniformed Services PRIMUS or Navy Cares NAVCARE programs. The PRIMUS centers of the Army and Air Force and the NAVCARE centers of the Navy are contractor-owned, contractor-operated, free-standing clinics positioned near heavily-utilized military hospitals to augment the delivery of routine ambulatory health services. PRIMUSNAVCARE contractors are reimbursed by the government at a Fixed price per clinic visit. The centers are open to any uniformed services beneficiary eligible for direct care. PRIMUSNAVCARE centers have proven extremely popular with their target populations, and 25 have become operational since the first Army PRIMUS censers opened in October 1985. In FY 89, PRIMUSNAVCARE centers accounted for approximately 1.5 million primary care visits and almost 200,000 other visits such as prescription refills and mammograms at a cost of 71.5 million.