Beyond funding: Why money alone won’t save primary care

Raymond Rupert
Aug 7
1 min read

As a physician who has witnessed this crisis unfold over 40 years of practice, I believe we need to examine why increased funding alone may not be sufficient to address the depth of our current crisis.

Dr. Raymond Rupert

8/1/2025

The recent analysis of Ontario’s primary care crisis featured in Healthy Debate (March 24) correctly identifies chronic underfunding as a central problem. His argument that “there is no model or family physician growth plan that will solve the problem without a long-term commitment to adequate funding” resonates with anyone who has worked in family medicine over the past decade.

However, as a physician who has witnessed this crisis unfold over 40 years of practice, I believe we need to examine why increased funding alone may not be sufficient to address the depth of our current crisis.

While the article accurately describes the devastating impact of wage freezes and budget cuts, the relationship between funding and primary care sustainability is more complex. Consider this: even well-funded primary care models are experiencing physician shortages and burnout at alarming rates.

Recent data from a Medscape physician wellness survey reveals that 40% of physicians under 45 report burnout compared to 23% of older physicians. This generational shift in burnout rates suggests that younger physicians are encountering systemic problems that adequate compensation alone cannot resolve. When 61% of younger physicians say they would take a salary reduction for better work-life balance, they’re signalling that money isn’t their primary concern—sustainable practice conditions are.