The crisis in primary care has long been discussed and the dismal litany of statistics is now familiar. The G.P. is vanishing from the medical scene. Over one-third of the active general practitioners are now over 60. In 1970 the U.S. Congress responded to the declining availability of primary health care by passing the Family Practice Act. The intent of the bill was to subsidize the training of family physicians and paramedical physician assistants. The 3-year appropriation was to provide funds to medical schools and hospitals to defray the expense of training a new type of specialist--a family practitioner--who was to be not only far better trained than the old G.P., but would possess new skills in counseling and managing a patient in his family and community setting. This document reviews the Family Practice Act: rationale and critique, reasons for the lack of family doctors, alternative strategies for primary care, and additional recommendations. The appendix includes the Federal Family Practice Legislation. (Author/PG)