What is a primary care physician (PCP)?
A. A PCP is the doctor you choose to be your primary source for medical care and will coordinate all of your medical care, including hospital admissions and referrals. If you have health maintenance organization Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) or point of service Point of Service (POS) coverage you will be required to have a PCP on file, check your benefit booklet for more information on PCPs.
A primary care physician (PCP) is responsible for coordinating all of your healthcare needs, including managing your annual exams, preventive care, routine illnesses and minor injuries, prescription medications and referrals to specialists and hospitals. Learn tips about how to select a physician.
A Primary Care Physician (PCP) is the doctor you select to be your personal physician. He or she can be specialized in Internal Medicine, Family Practice or Pediatrics. The relationship you have with your PCP is very important. You will work with your PCP to manage your health, and he/she will authorize visits to most specialists when necessary (except for visits to OB/GYN specialists, which can be made without a referral).
A PCP is the doctor you select to be your personal physician. As a member of ABMG, your Primary Care Physician (PCP) works with you to make decisions about your care and to recommend specialists when medically appropriate. Your PCP plays many roles – primary caregiver, health care advisor, coordinator of specialty care and patient advocate. PCPs can include: • Family/General Practitioners (Doctors who treat patients of all ages) • Internists (Doctors who treat adults and may have a subspecialty) • Pediatricians (Doctors who treat children) To choose a PCP within ABMG, please contact Customer Service at 866.681.0737. They can help you find the right doctor and answer questions about a physician’s education, specialty, sub-specialty, office locations, hours, and languages spoken.
The term “Primary Care Physician” does not mean that the physician is the primary provider of your care. Rather, primary care is an approach to medicine that, as defined by the American Medical Association, provides: “a broad range of personal medical care (preventive, diagnostic, palliative, therapeutic, curative, counseling and rehabilitative) in a manner that is accessible, comprehensive and coordinated by a licensed MD/DO physician over time.” Please note three key elements of this definition: (1) The PCP provides preventive care, (2) the care is “comprehensive” — i.e., the physician evaluates multiple body systems and considers a wide range of underlying causes of symptoms, and (3) the care is ongoing and “over time.” There are four types of physicians who specialize in primary care: internal medicine, family practice, pediatrics, and general practice (which is no longer offered to med students as a career choice).
