Emergency and Urgent Care
| definitions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Urgent |
going without care for 24 hours might put your health in danger |
|
| Emergency |
going without care right away might put your health in danger |
|
What to Do:
Urgent care - Call your Primary Care Physician (PCP), if you have one. Primary Care Physicians are on call or have coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After hours, you may have to leave a message with an answering service. Your doctor or a covering doctor will return your call. A provider will see you within 24 hours of when you ask for urgent care.
Emergencies - You need care right away. An emergency occurs when a person with average knowledge of health and medicine expects the condition or illness, if not treated immediately, to result in serious harm to his or her physical or mental health.
If you can, call your PCP, even in an emergency. If you think calling first might put your health in danger, go straight to the emergency room or dial 911. If necessary, call an ambulance.
Call your PCP when your health is no longer in danger. We don't provide any benefits for emergency room care if you could have been treated safely elsewhere.
Out-of-Area Emergencies
If you have an emergency outside of Vermont, go to the nearest doctor or emergency room. If an out-of-area hospital admits you, tell your PCP as soon as possible.
