Three in 10 young adults don't have a primary care doctor, according to a new national poll from Ohio State University. While 97% of adults 65+ have a primary care provider, only 71% of those aged 18–29 do — and fewer than half of those had a checkup in the past year. Many young adults are turning to urgent care clinics instead for nonemergency issues.
A new national poll from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center reveals a striking generational gap in primary care engagement. While nearly all older adults (97%) have a primary care doctor, nearly 3 in 10 young adults aged 18–29 do not — and among those who do, less than half had a checkup in the past year.
The trend is reshaping where young people seek care. More than a third of young adults (36%) turn to urgent care clinics for nonemergency health issues, compared to 68% of older adults who contact their primary care provider. Physicians warn this pattern means young patients may miss routine preventive care — like tetanus boosters or first Pap tests — that primary care providers are uniquely positioned to catch early.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Gaps in primary care engagement among young adults can lead to missed vaccinations, delayed screenings, and undetected chronic conditions — issues that are far easier and cheaper to address early than later.
