1 minute read
Let me get right to the point of this blog: Please get a primary care physician (PCP). I want you to have the best shot at your healthiest self and having a PCP quarterback your healthcare is a great way to do that.
I get it. You're busy. Super busy. Your life is hectic and filled with so many “need-to-do” items that investing the time into finding, and seeing, a primary doctor, especially when you are not sick, just doesn’t seem worth it in the big picture. You may rationalize that if you get sick there is always the emergency room or urgent care or that a Google search can help you figure out what kind of specialist to go see. While going to a different urgent care doctor whenever an issue arises may be a necessary quick fix, it should never be seen as a replacement for having a primary care doctor.
Save Time, Save Money
A relationship with a PCP, such as a family medicine or internal medicine doctor, can be invaluable. PCPs follow your health history and are best positioned to understand when you may need a specialist’s care. They can make sure you get the labs and tests that a specialist may require before you show up to the specialist’s office, which will save you a wasted visit to a specialist. PCPs can also handle ongoing care with all of your specialists to make that sure your care is coordinated. Without this PCP-specialist partnership, your healthcare journey can quickly take the wrong path leading to unnecessary appointments and wasted co-pays . . . not to mention the stress! In the long run, having a PCP saves you time and money.
An Ounce of Prevention
And, let’s not forget PREVENTION! PCPs make sure that you have all the vaccinations, screenings and tests that you need throughout your life to help you prevent illness or to detect it early. Bottom line is that having a primary care doctor has been shown to improve one’s health and reduce unnecessary healthcare spending.
So, if you don’t have a PCP, make the time to get one and get the health you deserve. If you need help, we got your back.
