What will you do if you or a loved one needs immediate medical care and you can't see your family doctor or primary care doctor right away? Most of us answer, “Go to the nearest emergency room.” But ER wait times are at an all-time high.
So, unless it’s a true emergency, you may want to consider other options – like walk-in centers and retail health clinics.
That’s why it’s important to know your
alternatives for immediate care now, before you need them. You can often get treated more quickly and pay less than you would for emergency room care.
Use these options when you need medical care quickly, but can’t see your family doctor or primary care doctor. These alternatives are usually open nights and weekends, and may cost you about the same as a doctor visit. Before you go, call and ask about their hours, services and whether they participate in your Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield network. You can find network participation information by looking at our
on-line provider directory. Reminder: You may also contact your regular doctor to see if extended hours are available. Click here to see a
chart of symptoms that typically can be treated at a walk-in center and/or retail health clinic.
Medical Emergency means the onset of a serious illness or injury which requires
emergency medical treatment, or the onset of symptoms of sufficient severity that a
member reasonably believes that emergency medical treatment is needed. Please see the
chart of symptoms link for examples of conditions which require emergency medical
treatment. Call 911 or go to the emergency room if you think you could put your health at
serious risk by delaying care.
Spend about 5 minutes exploring “
To ER or Not to ER”
Retail health clinics 