In the United States, the growing prevalence of chronic conditions such as obesity¹ has been attributed to an escalating prevalence of health-risk behaviors. Recent studies have identified innovative practice-based approaches to help patients reduce health-risk behaviors, well described as a critical dimension of primary care.^2–4 Estimating what is spent by practices that provide such services is critical for establishing appropriate payment. This was the objective of a recent study⁵ that estimated the within-practice expenses of providing services to change four leading health-risk behaviors: unhealthy diet; tobacco use; lack of physical activity; and risky use of alcohol. Expenditure estimates were computed for 29 representative practices that implemented risk-reduction interventions.⁵ Expenditures were reported after pilot testing by using standardized protocols, instruments, and a guide book (see accompanying table).

These are likely to be underestimates, because the practices did not have to report data on, for example, the advisory and administrative support they received from their research networks. The variation in these estimates may be explained by the diversity in the approaches taken for the 10 interventions, and by differences in staffing and organizational configuration among the practices. However, these results show that the expenses for initiatives to reduce unhealthy behaviors may be prohibitive for most primary care practices, which often lack the capital to initiate or maintain services at this expense level. Widescale adoption of these approaches will occur only if primary care compensation incorporates and fully covers these expenses.