An emergency is a sudden and unexpected illness or medical condition with symptoms that could be a serious threat to your health or life if you don’t get medical attention right away. Examples of emergencies are

• chest pain
• broken bones
• convulsions or seizures
• severe bleeding
• severe burns
• severe pain.

Call your doctor/primary care provider (PCP) as soon as you can after an emergency to let them know what happened.

If you are out-of-state, call 911 or go to the emergency room if you have a medical emergency. As soon as you are able following the emergency

·        call Member Services (1-800-250-8427) with information about the hospital/provider (this information will help us get them paid for the services you needed)

·        call your PCP to let them know what happened.

Not sure if it’s an emergency?

A frequent concern for patients is when to go to an emergency room (ER). A first step is to call your doctor’s office. Your PCP is on call 24/7 and will make sure you get the care you need. They can give you advice about where you should go for care or what to do for symptoms that are safe to manage at home. Earache, cough, sore throat, cold or flu are generally safe to manage at home; however, they are the most common reasons for ER visits.

Urgent care is for a health problem that requires medical attention within 24 hours but is not serious enough to warrant a visit to the ER. Call your PCP if you have an urgent problem.

Your PCP can give you or your family member the best care when it’s not an emergency because your doctor knows your medical history. The next time you see your doctor ask about when to use the ER, what to do when your doctor’s office is closed and find out your doctor’s office hours.