5 Benefits of Having a Primary Care Provider
With easy access to emergency rooms and urgent care clinics, it may be tempting to skip finding and establishing a relationship with a primary care provider. However, in the long run, that can short-change your health.
It’s important to have a primary care provider who oversees your health care needs. Establishing that relationship can improve your health now and for years to come.
What Is a Primary Care Provider?
You can think of your primary care provider (PCP) as your “medical home base.” Your PCP may be an internal medicine doctor (MD), physician assistant (PA), doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO), or advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) who is trained to diagnose and treat a wide number of health conditions.
Your primary care provider is the one who sees you for your annual checkups, treats you when you’re sick, and can help you catch mental health issues early, making sure all aspects of your health care needs are met. Most of all, since PCPs provide continuity of care, they’re an expert on you.
Here are five ways having a primary care provider will benefit your health.
1. Catching Health Issues Early
People who have a primary care provider are more likely to keep up with their preventive health care—including getting routine check-ups, vaccinations, and screenings for hypertension, high cholesterol, cancer, diabetes, and more.
Catching health issues in their earliest most treatable stages can prevent bigger health issues down the road. In fact, a 2019 study found that those who have a PCP live longer than those who don’t.
2. Having a Personalized Health Advocate
Having a relationship with a primary care provider means having a health expert who isn’t just knowledgeable about medicine but about your personal health, in particular.
Your PCP will have your entire health history, from your childhood vaccinations to your recent checkups and medical issues. Using that data, they will be able to spot trends, identify risks early on, and choose the best treatments or preventive measures for you.
3. Helping You Manage Chronic Conditions
If you're dealing with a chronic condition like high blood pressure, diabetes, or asthma, your primary care provider is the one who will help you manage it. They will keep tabs on your condition with regular check-ins, tweak treatments as necessary, and prescribe medications when needed.
More than that, they're your go-to for practical advice on how to make lifestyle changes that can really make a difference. Whether it's tips on eating better, managing stress to keep your blood pressure in check, or figuring out how to minimize asthma triggers, they can guide you on the right path.
4. Referring You to Specialists
Have you ever wondered which type of specialist you need? Or waded through a long list of providers not knowing which one to call first? If so, you know how daunting the medical system can be. Yet, with a primary care provider in your corner, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Trusted PCPs can refer you to the right specialist for your health needs. Plus, they’ll make sure that whichever treatments or medications a specialist recommends integrate into your overall health care plan.
5. Saving You Money
Routine preventive care is usually covered at 100% through most insurance companies, with no co-pay. Plus, a primary care provider can help to reduce your health care costs in the long run by focusing on prevention, helping you to manage chronic conditions effectively, and avoiding unnecessary emergency room visits.
In fact, research has shown that those who have a primary care provider save 33% on health care costs. Yet, despite their availability, experts say that too few Americans are taking advantage of having one.
Find a Primary Care Provider in Houston or Dallas
To find a primary care provider in Houston or Dallas, simply head to the Innovista Medical Center provider directory. You can search by name, city, or zip code there. Innovista Medical Center accepts all Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas plans.
Once you pick a provider you want to designate as your PCP, it's time to schedule your first appointment and get your care relationship started. Together, you'll go over your health history and any concerns, figure out what tests or screenings you are due for, and decide how often you should come in to stay on top of your health.
