According to a recent study by Health Services Research, around 137 million people in the United States visit a hospital emergency room every year and it is estimated that as many as half of these people could have been treated just as well at a different facility. The cost of an emergency room visit can be expensive, especially when the condition could have been managed at an Urgent Care or Office visit. In certain situations, telemedicine or virtual office visit may be a viable and cost saving option.  Below are examples of the difference in cost based on each LSS Medical Plan.

CDHP             Gold PPO                  Silver PPO                 Bronze PPO

It is important to remember that when a trip to the doctor is not possible, there are other options besides the emergency room (ER). These alternative centers can treat conditions that should be looked at right away but aren’t as severe as emergencies (including sprains and strains, animal bites, minor headaches, coughs/sore throats). 

When to Choose Urgent Care

For a list of urgent care centers and retail walk-in clinics near you, contact Anthem customer service at 844-995-1751 or call the 24-hour Anthem NurseLineSM at 800-337-4770.  Don’t forget, you can schedule a virtual care appointment or use the interactive chat feature to get quick answers through the Sydney app.

Always remember the “ER Rule of Thumb” though… Always call 911 or go directly to an Emergency Room if you think you could put your health at serious risk by delaying care.