Primary Care Physician (PCP) Law and Legal Definition
Primary care physician (PCP) means a physician or medical doctor specializing either in internal medicine, pediatric medicine or family or general practice, providing both first hand care for a person with undiagnosed health concern and continuing care for patients with varied medical conditions.
Apart from doctor, a PCP can be a physician assistant or a nurse practitioner. A PCP is generally responsible for coordinating a patient's care in a managed care system such as a preferred provider organization (PPO) or health maintenance organization (HMO). A PCP acts as a gatekeeper by controlling the insured's access to health care through the insurer.
