Right Place, Right Time: When You Need Healthcare in a Hurry

When you’re sick or injured, you don’t want to waste time deciding where to go for care. Understanding your options ahead of time will make decisions easier if you find yourself in need of immediate medical help. Emergency rooms (ERs) aren’t always the fastest choice—and they certainly aren’t the most cost-effective. For conditions that aren't life-threatening, you may be able to save time and money by going to an urgent care center.

URGENT CARE CENTERS

Urgent care centers are clinics with longer hours and more extensive treatment options than most doctors’ offices. They treat conditions that aren’t life-threatening, but do need immediate attention—like earaches, sprains, and flu, among others. Urgent care centers are usually open extended hours, including evenings and weekends. Many offer on-site diagnostic tests. And, in most situations, you'll save time and money by going to urgent care instead of an ER. Under the UT SELECT Medical plan, your out-of-pocket cost for a visit to an in-network urgent care center would be limited to the copayment of $35.

EMERGENCY ROOMS

The ER should be reserved for serious, potentially life-threatening medical emergencies only. If you have severe injuries or an onset of a serious medical condition such as chest pains, difficulty breathing, or a fever over 103 degrees, you should go to the ER. Generally, ERs are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They have the equipment, expertise, and training to handle life- threatening emergencies. That specialized care costs more, but for severe trauma and illness, the ER needs to be your destination. 

Under the UT SELECT Medical plan, your out-of-pocket costs for a visit to the ER would include the $150 copayment plus 20% of the allowable expenses. If you are admitted to the hospital from the ER, the $150 copayment will be waived and services will be covered under the in-patient hospital benefit. These potential out-of-pocket costs are a small price to pay in a true emergency. For less critical medical needs, it’s best to consider less costly options for treatment. 

HOW DO I KNOW WHERE TO GO?

One way to be proactive is to locate the closest in-network urgent care center and ER for both your office and your home and keep the locations and phone numbers handy. If you need medical care, but aren't sure what level is appropriate, the 24/7 Nurseline at (888) 315-9473 can help you decide if you should go to an urgent care center or ER. If you need to locate an urgent care center or ER quickly, you have several options depending on whether you have a phone or computer available.

• Online Provider Finder – Available 24/7 at www.bcbstx.com/ut. 
  Login is not required – click on “Doctors and Hospitals” in the top blue bar; then click on “Do a quick search now,” then “Get Medical Care,” then “Urgent Care” for centers near you; or use the search box at the top of the page to conduct your own search - entering terms like “urgent” or “emergency” will prompt the system to offer relevant search topics.

• UT SELECT Customer Service Team – Available Monday – Friday, 8am to 6pm at (866) 882-2034

  If you need care in a hurry and can’t get in with your primary care provider, customer service reps at BCBSTX can help you find an in-network urgent care center or an emergency room near you.

• Call a facility directly to confirm the type of care offered

  With a computer or smart phone, you can use an online map service, such as Google Maps, to find urgent care centers nearby and then simply call and ask if they are in the BCBSTX network and whether they bill as an ER or an urgent care provider.

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For more information about your UT Benefits program, please visit our website at www.utsystem.edu/offices/employee-benefits.