When you need care quickly
Knowing where to go can save you time and money
When you need care right away, the emergency room (ER) might be the first place that comes to your mind. However, the ER may not be the best choice in every situation. You have options when you have a sudden need for care, and knowing what they are can help you save time and money — and feel better sooner.
Where to go for care
Going to the ER or calling 911 is always your best option for emergencies. If it's not an emergency, you can see your primary care physician (PCP), have a virtual visit with a doctor, or go to a retail health clinic or urgent care center. This chart compares those options:1
| PCP | Virtual care | Retail health clinic | Urgent care center | Emergency room |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usually available during normal business hours and may also provide medical advice by phone after hours | 24/7 access to doctors through the SydneySM Health app, no appointment needed | Walk-in care clinics located in certain drugstores and major retailers | Stand-alone facilities, open extended hours | Stand-alone facilities or part of hospitals, open 24/7 |
| cost7: $$ | average wait2: 18 min | cost: $ | average wait3: 10 min | cost: $$ | average wait4: 30 min | cost: $$$ | average wait5: 30 min | cost: $$$$ | average wait6: 90 min |
| Mild asthma, back pain, flu-like symptoms, allergies, fever, sprains, diarrhea, eye or sinus infection, rash, urinary tract infection (UTI), sore throat, earaches, bumps, minor cuts and scrapes, and other nonemergency symptoms | Flu-like symptoms, allergies, fever, sinus pain, diarrhea, eye infection, rash, UTI | Sore throat, earaches, bumps, minor cuts and scrapes, UTI | Sprain and strains, nausea, diarrhea, ear or sinus pain, minor allergic reactions, cough, sore throat, minor headache, UTI | Signs of a heart attack (chest pain) or stroke (sudden numbness and slurred speech), difficulty breathing, and severe burn or bleeding — and any other symptoms where it is reasonable to think you are having a life-threatening emergency or your health is in serious jeopardy |
Did you know?
The average total cost of an ER visit can be up to 10 times more than an urgent care center visit. ER wait time is usually about three times more than at an urgent care center.8
How to find the care you need:
-
Go to anthem.com or download the Sydney Health mobile app from the App Store® or Google PlayTM. Then, log in to:
- Find a doctor if you don't have a PCP.
- Have a virtual visit with a doctor using the Sydney Health mobile app.
- Find a retail health clinic, urgent care center, or ER.
- Choose Find Care and follow the steps.
Learn more about your healthcare options
Use your phone's camera to scan this QR code.
Sources:
- The care options and list of symptoms are not all-inclusive. If possible, consult your PCP for more guidance.
- Business Wire: 8th Annual Vitals Wait Time Report Released (accessed July 2021): businesswire.com.
- LiveHealth Online, internal data 2020.
- Healthcare Finance: Patient wait times show notable impact on satisfaction scores, Vitals study shows (accessed July 2021): healthcarefinancenews.com.
- Urgent Care Association: UCA 2019 Benchmarking Report (accessed July 2021): ucaoa.org.
- Harvard Business Review: To Reduce Emergency Room Wait Times, Tie Them to Payments (accessed July 2021): hbr.org.
- Costs are ranked according to the member's estimated out-of-pocket costs and average health plan copays. Each plan may have different costs. Nonemergency care outside of your network may cost more out of pocket or may not be covered at all. $ = lower cost, and $$$ = higher cost. Call the Member Services number on your ID card if you have questions about your plan.
- Healthgrades: Should You Go to the ER or Urgent Care? How to Decide (accessed July 2021): healthgrades.com.
In addition to using a telehealth service, you can receive in-person or virtual care from your own doctor or another healthcare provider in your plan's network. If you receive care from a doctor or healthcare provider not in your plan's network, your share of the costs may be higher. You may also receive a bill for any charges not covered by your health plan.
Sydney Health is offered through an arrangement with Carelon Digital Platforms, a separate company offering mobile application services on behalf of your health plan. ©2024
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of: In Colorado: Rocky Mountain Hospital and Medical Service, Inc. HMO products underwritten by HMO Colorado, Inc. Copies of Colorado network access plans are available on request from member services or can be obtained by going to anthem.com/co/networkaccess. In Connecticut: Anthem Health Plans, Inc. In Indiana: Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. In Georgia: Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Plan of Georgia, Inc. and Community Care Health Plan of Georgia, Inc. In Kentucky: Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky, Inc. In Maine: Anthem Health Plans of Maine, Inc. In Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area): RightCHOICE® Managed Care, Inc. (RIT), Healthy Alliance® Life Insurance Company (HALIC), and HMO Missouri, Inc. RIT and certain affiliates administer non-HMO benefits underwritten by HALIC and HMO benefits underwritten by HMO Missouri, Inc. RIT and certain affiliates only provide administrative services for self-funded plans and do not underwrite benefits. In Nevada: Rocky Mountain Hospital and Medical Service, Inc. HMO products underwritten by HMO Colorado, Inc., dba HMO Nevada. In New Hampshire: Anthem Health Plans of New Hampshire, Inc. HMO plans are administered by Anthem Health Plans of New Hampshire, Inc. and underwritten by Matthew Thornton Health Plan, Inc. In 17 southeastern counties of New York: Anthem Healthchoice Assurance, Inc., and Anthem Healthchoice HMO, Inc. In these same counties Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield HP is the tradename of Anthem HP. LLC. In Ohio: Community Insurance Company. In Virginia: Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc. trades as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and its affiliate HealthKeepers, Inc. trades as Anthem HealthKeepers providing HMO coverage, and their service area is all of Virginia except for the City of Fairfax, the Town of Vienna, and the area east of State Route 123. In Wisconsin: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin (BCBSWI), underwrites or administers PPO and indemnity policies and underwrites the out of network benefits in POS policies offered by Compcare Health Services Insurance Corporation (Compcare) or Wisconsin Collaborative Insurance Corporation (WCIC). Compcare underwrites or administers HMO or POS policies; WCIC underwrites or administers Well Priority HMO or POS policies. Independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Anthem is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc.
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