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In the USA, primary care is usually defined as comprehensive or coordinated care that is delivered by physicians practicing general internal medicine, family practice, or pediatrics. Obstetrics and gynecology is sometimes included under the auspices of primary care since many women, particularly during the childbearing years, rely on these physicians for preventive services. Over the last 50 years, the funding models for primary care in the USA have been inconsistent and fragmented, resulting in a complex and inadequate funding system. Although many countries have developed government‐sponsored, universal health care plans, the USA did not choose this route. Rather, significant change in US medicine has been the intended or unintended result of legislation and market‐forces.