In these situations, call your primary care physician immediately. Your doctor will tell you if you should go to the hospital emergency room, to their office, or to another facility. An urgent care situation is one that does not pose an immediate, serious health threat but does require prompt medical attention. The member should describe the illness or injury and follow the doctor s instruction on where to go for care. Free-standing urgent care centers are found in many urban communities.
Some medical centers offer urgent care services on evenings and weekends.
There are also 24-hour nurse advice lines where members can discuss their symptoms and medical history with a registered nurse, who uses a clinical protocol to evaluate the condition and gives advice on what to do. Make sure you know your options locally and discuss them with your primary care physician. And keep those vital telephone numbers handy, including your primary care physician, emergency services, and the local hospital or urgent care facility. In the process of delivering quality healthcare, we want our members to be educated consumers. We also want to protect them from unnecessary medical care costs.