Discover your options for quick care

Find out about emergency room alternatives

When you’re looking for care in a hurry, you want to receive it safely and quickly. If it’s not a life-threatening emergency and your doctor isn’t available, you have other options.

What to do when you need care fast

Step 1: Call your primary care doctor or Anthem’s 24/7 NurseLine.

Your doctor can help you decide where to receive care, whether it’s a visit to the office, the emergency room (ER), or somewhere else. If your doctor isn’t available, you can call the Anthem 24/7 NurseLine at the number on the back of your ID card for guidance.

Step 2: If it’s not an emergency, choose one of the options below to save time and money. Depending on your needs, the following options are more convenient than the ER, and you can use them at night and on weekends to lower your chances of long wait times:

• LiveHealth Online:
  Have a video visit in minutes with a board-certified doctor 24/7 on your mobile device or computer. No appointment is needed. Go to livehealthonline.com or download the no-cost app to register.

• Retail health clinic
  Typically located in a major phar- macy or retail store, you can receive basic health care services from a health care professional.

• Walk-in doctor’s office
  No appointment is needed for routine care and common illnesses.

• Urgent Care center
  For conditions that need care right away, urgent care is a convenient option if you need stitches, lab tests, or X-rays.

If you’re an HMO member, talk to your primary care doctor to understand your options for quick care. Your doctor can also help you find quick care centers in your plan. Please visit pacfed-must.com for cost-savings on these services and to review benefits and coverage.

ER vs. Urgent Care: Know the difference

Avoid unnecessary costs; call Anthem to find your nearest Urgent Care center

Emergency rooms (ER) exist to help people when they have suffered a major traumatic event like a heart attack, stroke or accident. It is not appropriate to visit an ER for less serious reasons.

The misuse of ERs can be costly for members and for the Fund. The average cost of an ER visit is much higher than a regular visit to a doctor.

Making the right choice

Fortunately, timely and affordable care for non-emergencies is available elsewhere.

Urgent Care centers are staffed and equipped to handle non-emergency medical issues at times when your regular health practitioner is unavailable.

In an emergency situation, you should always call 9-1-1 or visit an emergency room. However, if you feel your condition could be treated by your primary care provider or at an Urgent Care center, take advantage of those options.

Store the contact information for your nearest innetwork Urgent Care center in your phone and post it on your refrigerator so it will be available when you need it.

To locate providers, including Urgent Care providers, call Anthem at (800) 888-8288.