departments

Specialist

専門医 (senmon-i)

A specialist is a physician with advanced training and board certification in a specific area of medicine, such as cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, or dermatology. Specialists focus on diagnosing and treating conditions within their area of expertise, often after referral from a primary care provider. Specialist visits typically carry higher copays than PCP visits. HMO plans usually require a referral; PPO plans typically allow direct access. Seeing an in-network specialist is critical for cost control.

Requesting a referral from your PCP in advance — rather than booking a specialist directly — ensures the visit is covered by plans that require referrals.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Specialist
Japanese (日本語)	専門医
Chinese (中文)	专科医生
Korean (한국어)	전문의
Portuguese	Especialista
Spanish	Especialista
Filipino	Espesyalista
Thai	แพทย์เฉพาะทาง
Vietnamese	Bác sĩ chuyên khoa
Romanization	senmon-i

Related terms

• Copayment (Copay) コペイ（自己負担額）
• Referral 紹介状
• Primary Care Provider (PCP) かかりつけ医（プライマリケアプロバイダー）
• HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) HMO（健康維持機構）

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