Physician Assistant
Master's-level clinicians who diagnose, prescribe, and assist across every specialty.
What does a physician assistant do?
Physician assistants (PAs) diagnose conditions, order and interpret tests, prescribe medications, assist in surgery, and manage ongoing care. They work in primary care, urgent care, emergency departments, and across most medical and surgical specialties. PAs train under a medical model with a master's-level degree (typically about two to three years of postbaccalaureate study) that includes extensive supervised clinical training before they sit for the national PA certification exam (PA-C).
PAs practice in collaboration with physicians, with the specifics defined by state law and the practice's policies. In most states, a PA can manage a patient's care from intake through follow-up; the supervising physician is available for consult and reviews charts but doesn't need to be in the room. For most visits, the experience of seeing a PA is functionally similar to seeing a physician.
When you'll typically see a PA
PAs handle a wide range: annual physicals, sore throats, urgent care, prescription refills, blood pressure and diabetes management, post-surgical follow-up, dermatology checks, mental-health visits, and most specialist follow-ups. For complex or unusual presentations, the PA consults with or refers to the physician on the same care team.
If you have a strong preference between a PA and a physician, you can usually request that when scheduling. Most insurance plans cover PA visits at the same copay as a physician visit, though billing-side conventions can differ.
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Frequently asked
How is a PA different from a nurse practitioner?
Both are master's-level licensed providers who diagnose, prescribe, and manage care. PAs train under a medical model that's broad across specialties before any sub-specialization; NPs train under a nursing model, often with a chosen population focus from the start (family, adult, pediatrics). In practice, the experience of seeing one versus the other depends much more on the individual provider than the credential.
Can a PA prescribe medication?
Yes. PAs can prescribe medication, and in most states controlled substances as well, with state-specific limits on certain DEA schedules. PAs prescribe across the full range of conditions they treat.
Will my insurance cover a visit with a PA?
Yes, in nearly all cases when the PA is in-network. Coverage and copay are typically the same as a physician visit. Confirm with your insurer if you're booking a procedure or specialty consult rather than a routine visit.
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About our medical review process
The editorial health content on this page was reviewed by Myra A. Jones BSN, RN, CCM, a registered nurse, for medical accuracy and adherence to current clinical standards as of June 27, 2026. Provider listings are directory data from the public NPPES registry and provider submissions; they are not part of clinical review. ProviderQuoHealth’s health content is reviewed by licensed healthcare professionals before publication and re-checked when the content materially changes.
Important: Not Medical Advice
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