pcp office visit

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Ambulatory Care Use and Physician office visits

Data are for the U.S.

• Percent of adults who had a visit with a doctor or other health care professional in the past year: 83.4% (2022)

Source: Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2019-2022

• Percent of children who had a visit with a doctor or other health care professional in the past year: 93.9% (2022)

Source: Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2019-2022

• Number of visits: 1.0 billion
• Number of visits per 100 persons: 320.7
• Percent of visits made to primary care physicians: 50.3%

Source: National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2019 National Summary Tables, table 1 [PDF – 865 KB]

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• Ambulatory Health Care Data
• National Health Interview Survey
• American Medical Association

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What to expect at your primary care visit

Visiting your primary care provider is now virtual or in-person

Health care is changing, and there are new, convenient ways to manage your health. From virtual visits and health management apps to going to a traditional appointment, health care providers and resources are more accessible than ever.

To serve you better, OSF HealthCare now offers more ways for you to manage your health. As a patient, you now have more options for in-person and virtual urgent care options for minor injuries and illnesses, virtual primary care options and better access for the traditional face-to-face office visit.

Mark Meeker, DO , an internal medicine physician with OSF HealthCare, talks about how these changes can affect your health care journey.

“With an eye on safety and convenience, health care clinicians are providing different and convenient ways for you to manage your health and connect with your physician or advanced practice provider,” Dr. Meeker said. “We want to conveniently increase the touch points between patients and their care teams to enhance the quality of care they receive.”

Whether you choose a virtual or office visit, you’re able to discuss a variety of topics, including:

• Chronic illness management
• Coordinating care with other specialists
• Lab results
• Lifestyle changes
• Medication renewals or changes
• Mental health
• New physical issues or concerns
• Recommendations for health screenings

The trade-off to a virtual visit is the lack of in-person interaction. Being in the same room allows your primary care provider (PCP) to get a sense of your overall well-being and do a hands-on physical examination.

However, if you haven’t experienced any new symptoms or have any concerns, a virtual visit is a safe and convenient alternative to meet your overall health goals, Dr. Meeker said. But it doesn’t completely replace the need for an office visit.

Virtual visits

Meet with your PCP via a smartphone, tablet or computer.

The first step is to start or sign in to your OSF MyChart account. You will go through a registration process where you will need to enter your personal and insurance information. You may be required to take a picture of certain documents, ID and insurance card, and upload them to your account, so have this information available.

A nurse or assistant will then do a basic health assessment before your clinician joins the video call.

Your PCP will still be able to order lab tests, refill prescriptions and determine if you need to come to the office for a physical examination.

“Virtual visits allow an open line of communication while avoiding unnecessary risks,” Dr. Meeker said, acknowledging that they’re also a great solution when a trip to the office is not convenient.

Office visits

The traditional health care route will never be replaced. Seeing your provider in-person is essential for good health.

“With a face-to-face office visit, I can examine your heart, ears, head and neck, lungs, stomach and throat to see if you have any pain or trouble in those areas,” Dr. Meeker said. “In-person visits also allow us to take an accurate body mass index, heart rate and blood pressure readings. Often, with something like high blood pressure, there are no signs or symptoms.

“Acute and chronic illnesses can also lead to physical exam findings that influence our treatment plans, and those have to be looked for and monitored on an episodic basis.”

Don’t forget to bring a valid photo ID, insurance card, medical history and a list of your medications.

No matter which type of visit you choose, be an active participant . Prepare a list of questions and concerns to discuss with your provider. Your primary care provider is a long-term partner in your health management, so it’s crucial to work with a provider who is right for you and your family and the methods for receiving care.

To learn tips for talking to your primary care provider, click here .

Last Updated: April 1, 2022

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What is a Preventive Visit vs. an Office Visit?

When scheduling a doctor’s appointment, you may think: what type of medical appointment will insurance charge this as? 

Knowing the difference between a preventive visit and an office visit can be confusing, especially if you schedule a preventive visit and end up receiving treatment for a certain health issue, like blood pressure concerns or frequent headaches. Learn why Jenna Kemp, MD , UnityPoint Health says regardless of the type of appointment, you’ll receive the same personalized experience.

Preventive Visit: Staying Well

A medical preventive visit is a yearly doctor's appointment intended to prevent illnesses and detect health concerns early, before symptoms are noticeable. Preventive visits could be an annual physical, well-child exam, Medicare wellness exam or welcome to Medicare visit. Most insurance companies are required to cover preventive care services at no cost to patients. During your appointment, you’ll review your overall health and well-being. Depending on your age, services may include:

• Complete physical exam
• Immunization review and update
• Age-appropriate heart disease screenings (blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol tests)
• Cancer risk screenings (pelvic exam, Pap smear, prostate and colorectal screenings)
• Sexually-transmitted disease testing
• Evaluation for signs of depression
• Alcohol, depression, obesity and tobacco counseling

“Each visit is unique, and there isn’t a standard lab panel or order set that everyone will automatically need,” Dr. Kemp says. “Preventive visits are an opportunity to discuss care areas, plans from other specialists and share lifestyle modifications to establish a long-term health plan. We work as a team with our patients to build trust and help align their health goals.”

Office Visit: Getting Well

An office visit is designed to discuss new or existing health issues, concerns, worries or symptoms. Your provider may order tests, prescribe medication, refer you to a specialist or provide advice and education. Office visits are covered by a standard insurance co-pay or deductible. “We take care of people as individuals. The care involved even for the same problem is often very different. It’s not unusual for two appointments to be on the schedule for ‘headache,’ and one will be a migraine episode, while the other is related to underlying depression and insomnia. We allot the necessary amount of time to come up with a treatment plan specific to each person’s case,” Dr. Kemp says.

Keep Your Health on Point

We care about people most, it’s why we do what we do. Dr. Kemp says her, and her team’s, main goal is to establish meaningful relationships with patients. “We have so many excellent primary care providers who truly care about their patients and work with them to be as healthy as possible. Our goal is always for patients to be respected and guided in their health through evidenced-based medical information. If you don’t feel like you’re heard or valued by your doctor, let them know!”

How to Schedule a Doctor's Appointment

To establish care with a new provider or to schedule an appointment with your current provider you can: 

• Find a Location and call to schedule
• Find a Doctor and either call to schedule or schedule an appointment online, if available 
• Log into the MyUnityPoint patient portal  to schedule an appointment with your doctor online
• Office Visit – Brief
• Office Visit – Extended
• Virtual Visit
• Well Child Visit
• Physical Visit

Choose this visit type if you have multiple or more complex health concerns to talk to your providers about, such as abdominal pain, multiple medication management and/or depression/anxiety.

 This visit type is only available for existing patients. Selecting this option does not schedule a virtual visit, but sends a request to be seen virtually to your primary care provider. Please note: not all providers offer virtual visits. For same-day virtual care options, select Virtual Urgent Care or E-Visit – SmartExam on the main menu.

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At first a preventive visit and office visit may seem similar, but there is a difference. Knowing which to schedule can help ease any confusion.

You schedule preventive visits which are annual physicals, well child exams and wellness exams to help prevent or detect any health concerns. This is also known as your annual wellness exam or annual health maintenance exam. Confusion comes when at your annual checkup you want to discuss or receive treatment for a new or existing condition that requires action. This is where a preventive visit can become an office visit and your bill can be impacted.

You schedule an office visit, or problem-related service, for problem focused care, meaning you notice symptoms and want to talk with your provider. In your preventive visit if a problem is addressed and needs to be treated, your provider’s office is required to bill as a separate office visit, due to action for treatment needed.

What is a preventive visit?

• Complete physical exam (annual health maintenance exam)
• Blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol screening tests
• Pelvic exams, pap smear
• Prostate and colorectal cancer screenings
• Sexually transmitted infection testing
• Thorough review of medical history, general health and well-being
• Vaccination review and update
• Developmental screenings
• Evaluation of future risks

What is an office visit?

• Diagnosing and monitoring specific medical conditions
• Addressing medical concerns and treatment plans
• Post hospitalization discharge care
• Medication refills
• Specialist referrals
• Testing/lab results
• Addressing new or worsening symptoms
• Depending on benefits an office visit can result in additional costs

Before scheduling an appointment state clearly whether this will be a wellness exam or if this appointment will be to discuss and treat new health concerns or symptoms. If a wellness exam is spent on specific or new health issues and treated it will no longer be considered a preventive visit, and it will be billed as an office visit.

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