8400 E Prentice Ave, Greenwood Village, CO 80111
pharmacysupport@cohealthop.org

You Should Be into Your PCP

Why do I need a primary care provider?

Sure, you may be healthy today, with no major health concerns. But you’re going to need some help to ensure it stays that way as you age. The best way to do that is by building a relationship with your primary care provider.

What’s a primary care provider (PCP)? They can be a doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant who treats you on a range of issues.

We’re not asking you to know how your PCP takes their coffee.

What’s important is for you to spend time with them at regular check-ups so they know what your health goals are and what’s going on in your life.

Whether you catch the flu, or find yourself with a chronic condition like diabetes, the relationship you build with your PCP is your ticket to ensuring better health.

PCPs are the key to better health outcomes, happier patients, and lower health care costs. In fact, studies on patients’ relationships to PCPs find that “people who identify a primary care physician as their usual source of care are healthier, regardless of their initial health.” [1]

Seeing the same PCP regularly means more than just having a doctor that remembers your first name. It means there’s someone who has spent enough time with you to know what your concerns are. Someone that knows this is your son’s fourth ear infection in just a few months. Or that you have a family history of cancer and need to start screening sooner.

When you joined Colorado HealthOP, you gained a partner in your health care. We want to support our members as you build relationships with your PCP. That’s part of the reason we encourage all of our members to complete their three Health Actions each year:

  1. Complete a health survey
  2. Get a basic health screening
  3. Have a wellness visit with your PCP

Combine the Health Actions with the free* doctor visits that come with your health plan, and our members are well on their way to forming that important relationship.