Understanding the place to go when you might have a well being scare is significant to getting the care you want, whenever you want it. Choosing the proper place to go may even prevent money and time.
That’s why I used to be stunned just lately to be taught that almost all visits to the Emergency Room (ER) are usually not, in truth, emergencies. In line with CBS Information, the most typical sort of go to to the ER is one in every of reasonable severity. (Suppose having a extreme cough or a fever larger than 100.5 levels Fahrenheit.) In North Carolina, one of these go to prices $1,589 on common.1
Which means, not solely are most visits to the ER pointless – they’re additionally very costly.
So, why are so many of us heading to the ER? There are lots of causes. Maybe it’s after 5pm and the physician’s workplace is closed. Or the affected person lives in a rural space that suffers from a scarcity of major care physicians. Or it looks like the quickest option to obtain care. (It’s not, by the way in which. Sufferers in North Carolina can spend as much as 5 hours within the emergency room earlier than being despatched dwelling!)2
After which, in fact, there’s confusion round what classifies as a well being emergency, when it’s applicable to make use of the ER, and the place to go in case your medical want is not an emergency. On this article, we’ll talk about a number of care choices – a lot of that are open past enterprise hours – to remember throughout your subsequent well being scare.
Bear in mind, when you’re undecided the place to go, Blue Cross and Blue Defend of North Carolina members can all the time use our 24/7 nurse line, Well being Line Blue, for a second opinion. There isn’t any out-of-pocket price for calling Well being Line Blue.
If you’re a Wholesome Blue member, you even have entry to a 24/7 nursing line (however at a unique cellphone quantity). Wholesome Blue’s nurse line helps you to speak with a registered nurse every time you might have well being questions or want medical recommendation. Be taught extra about the place to get the care you want if you’re a Wholesome Blue member.
What’s as a Well being Emergency, Anyway?
Many occasions we combine up “urgency” and “emergency” – which means, if we predict there’s an pressing cause to go to the doc, it looks like an emergency. And so, earlier than we even contemplate different choices, we could discover ourselves ready within the ER.
This is the reason it’s vital to familiarize ourselves with the medical circumstances that classify as well being emergencies earlier than we’ve a well being scare. Right here’s a listing of life-threatening emergencies that qualify for a visit to the ER:
- Lack of consciousness, together with fainting
- Sudden lack of imaginative and prescient, numbness, or problem talking
- Extreme hassle respiratory
- Extreme belly ache
- Excessive fever with stiff neck, psychological confusion or problem respiratory
- Coughing up or vomiting blood
- Head trauma
- Seizures, convulsions
- Main damaged bones
A straightforward option to bear in mind when to go to the ER? If the well being scare is life-threatening, it’s time to go to the ER.
The place to Go When It’s Not Life or Demise
A damaged toe. A light bronchial asthma assault. A sprained ankle.
All the above are actually trigger for quick concern. However fortunately, these and lots of different pressing circumstances are thought-about minor to reasonable when it comes to severity – which implies it’s doable to hunt care at your major care doctor or at an pressing care heart. There are vital variations between the 2, which we’ll talk about under.
Minor Well being Points: Major Care Doctor (AKA your physician’s workplace)
There are numerous causes to go to your major care doctor whenever you expertise a well being scare. First, and most significantly, she or he is aware of your private and household medical historical past. As well as, some medical doctors provide same-day appointments for pressing conditions, and the associated fee will typically be decrease than going to pressing care or the ER. Under are the well being circumstances that your physician might be able to deal with at his or her workplace.
- Sore or strep throat
- Urinary tract and bladder infections
- Earaches and ear infections
- Minor fevers
- Cough, colds and flu
- Nasal congestion
- Allergy signs
- Pores and skin points, together with rashes, ringworm and rooster pox
- Pink eye
- Head lice
- Insect bites
- Minor burns, cuts and scrapes
- Sprains and strains
Whereas this record doesn’t cowl all the things, it’s a great place to begin for deciding the place to go if you end up experiencing a minor well being situation.
Reasonable Well being Points: Pressing Care
Pressing care facilities have grown in recognition over the previous few years as a result of they provide sufferers quick, handy medical care. This implies there’s no appointment vital – you may stroll proper in. Most pressing care facilities additionally provide same-day appointments – so if you wish to keep away from spending further time within the ready room, it is a nice choice. They’re additionally open exterior of typical enterprise hours (often, from 8am-8pm, though hours range by location).
The typical price on your go to will typically be about one-tenth of a visit to the ER.3
Under, you’ll discover the varieties of well being points that pressing care facilities deal with. (It’s vital to notice that pressing care facilities additionally deal with the entire minor well being points talked about above, as properly.)
- Migraines
- Extreme again ache
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Minor damaged bones (toe, foot, finger)
- Fevers
- Bronchial asthma assaults (gentle to reasonable)
- Extreme cough
- Eye irritation
- Pinworms
- Minor reactions to drugs (itchiness, pores and skin rash, hives)
- Animal bites
- Wounds requiring stitches
North Carolina now has pressing well being facilities in practically each city. You’ll find an pressing care heart close to you by looking out right here.
In the event you’re nonetheless uncertain of the place to go for a given medical situation or an surprising well being scare, our members can all the time use our 24/7 nurse line, Well being Line Blue, for recommendation. A very powerful takeaway is that you’ve choices on the subject of your well being care – and it can save you money and time by figuring out the place to go.
