When you have an emergency, you have many more options than simply going to the emergency room. You should be aware of all the levels of options available, because the emergency room is one of the most expensive options to use. With many patients having high-deductible insurance plans, an ER visit may start in the hundreds of dollars.
- Nursing helpline. Many insurances provide a free help line where you can talk to a nurse 24/7. This is your best option to help you determine whether or not you even have an emergency. That is, why is my mucus a different color, or my child’s cough has not gotten any better for the past few days.
- Calling your PCP for an urgent, same-day visit. This is only possible if you’ve established care at a PCP. Even if full, a PCP may work you in if you’ve established a good relationship with them. A PCP is a great choice for an urgent issue because they have your existing medical history.
- Urgent care. These are great for minor procedural issues such as sprains, small burns and cuts. Also for new onset symptoms if you don’t have an extensive medical history: flu-like symptoms, abdominal pain. The downside is that they have no clue who you are when you walk in. Is that dizziness simply because of motion sickness or that new medicine you’re taking?
- Specialized urgent care. Even more severe sprains and broken bones can be treated at a specialized orthopedic urgent care. They have x-ray machines and nurse practitioners specialized in orthopedic care. Pediatric urgent care is another type of specialized centers for children.
- Calling specialists even during non-business hours. Most specialist offices have an on-call physician who can take care of patient emergencies during off-hours. Some specialists such as optometrist can even come into the office to take a look at an eye emergency. Again this is dependent on you already establishing care at their office.
- Virtual emergency rooms. You may be able to talk to an emergency room physician via the internet. Companies like as MDLive provide such a service. This is a great option for medical conditions that do not require a physical exam, though they still may opt to bring you into an actual emergency room.
