Primary Care, sometimes referred to as your Primary Care Provider (PCP), General Practitioner (GP), or family medicine doctor, is your main healthcare expert who will get to know and take care of you. He or she will make referrals to specialists and prescribe medications as needed; as well as observe health levels over time and discuss health maintenance and management strategies with you. This person could be a MD or DO physician, nurse practitioner (ARNP), physician assistant (PA-C), or Naturopath (ND).
Who is your primary care provider may be determined by a combination of what clinic is easy for you to get to, if those providers are in your insurance network, and/or if you have a recommendation of a provider from a trusted friend or family member, etc…
To establish primary care make a visit to either establish care (discussing current health problems and their management), or an annual wellness visit (no current health concerns).
If you do not feel comfortable establishing primary care because of cost or lack of health insurance, please see my post on insurance (including medical insurance) HERE.
There are a lot of primary care providers – if you do not have a great first visit or do not feel comfortable, or satisfied that your care provider is a good fit, then try again. It’s okay to switch providers until you find someone you like. It is very much like finding a good therapist or hairstylist.
Be Prepared Seattle 