Urgent care

Go to an urgent care doctor if you can’t reach your primary care provider (PCP) or if it’s after hours and you don’t have a true emergency. An urgent care center will treat the following: 

• Allergic reactions or insect bites
• Back pain
• Coughs, colds, sore throats, flu and most fevers
• Dehydration
• Ear pain or ear infections
• Eye redness, conjunctivitis or pink eye
• Migraine
• Mild shortness of breath
• Minor cuts, burns or wounds
• Muscle sprains or strains
• Pain or burning when urinating
• Pneumonia
• Simple fractures
• Sinus infections or nasal congestion
• Skin rashes
• Stomach pain
• Vomiting, nausea, diarrhea or cramps

Go to the ER for life-threatening health problems. This includes chest pain, trouble breathing and major illnesses and injuries.  Common reasons to go to the ER include: 

• Bleeding that won't stop
• Chest pain
• Complex fractures
• Difficulty breathing or severe shortness of breath
  
• Heart attack
• Head injuries
  
• Loss of consciousness
• Major motor vehicle accidents
• Numbness in the face, arm or leg
• Psychiatric emergencies such as suicidal or homicidal thoughts
  
• Seizure
• Severe allergic reactions
• Stroke

Call 911 and seek emergency care for sudden or unexpected medical problems, including:

• Amputation of limbs or deep wounds with severe bleeding
• Chest pain (suspected heart attack or stroke)
• Inhaled smoke or chemicals
• Major burns to the face or large areas of the body
  
• Physical or sexual assault
• Poisoning, overdoses and suicidal behavior
• Pregnancy problems over 20 weeks, including labor, bleeding, fluid leaks or the fetus has stopped moving
• Severe head injuries with loss of consciousness or new seizures
  
• Sudden confusion, weakness, dizziness, numbness, severe headache or difficulty speaking or breathing
• Vomiting blood

• Write down a list of concerns that you wish to discuss with your provider.
• Be open and honest with your doctor. Don’t hide anything about alcohol, drug or tobacco use, sexual history or other lifestyle issues. Even if these issues are sensitive to you, your provider can only give you the right care if you give complete and accurate information.
• Consider bringing a paper and pen (or a mobile device such as a tablet) with you to your visit. You may want to write down important instructions from your provider.

Check with your health plan for details and copay amounts. We bill urgent care visits as an office visit, not ER care. Walk-in clinic care tends to cost patients less than an ER visit.

Urgent care doctors usually send a summary of your visit to your primary care provider (PCP), especially if they share an electronic health record system. If not, you might need to bring the paperwork yourself. Some urgent care centers also help schedule follow-ups with your PCP.