How to Find Urgent Health Care During the Holidays
Jake Newby
| 4 min read
Key Takeaways
- Knowing where to go for care not only gets you treatment faster, it also helps you avoid expensive, unnecessary medical bills during an already stressful holiday hustle.
- Many health plans — including BCBSM — offer access to a 24-hour nurse line, where trained nurses can help you understand your symptoms, talk through your concerns and more.
- Some primary care practices may offer extended hours, same-day appointments and after-hours guidance.
- Many urgent care clinics are open 24/7, 365, including on holidays and weekends. BCBSM and BCN members can browse the list of urgent care centers that are located near them and covered by their plan.
The last thing anyone wants during the holidays is to come down with an illness or injury. But what makes it even worse is scrambling to figure out where to go for help, especially when you’re not feeling well, doctor’s offices may be closed and costs can vary widely depending on the setting.
Knowing where to go for care not only gets you treatment faster, it also helps you avoid expensive, unnecessary medical bills at a time when most people are already stretching their budgets on gifts, travel and gatherings.
This overview of care settings that may be available to you can help make informed decisions, save money and get the right care when you need it most.
24-Hour Nurse Line
Many health plans — including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) plans — offer access to a 24-hour nurse line, where trained nurses can help you understand your symptoms, talk through your concerns and guide you to the most appropriate care setting.
For BCBSM and Blue Care Network members, the nurse line is available anytime at 800-775-BLUE (2583).
This kind of support can help you:
- Determine whether symptoms can be managed at home
- Know when you should seek immediate attention
- Avoid unnecessary and costly emergency room visits
- Understand whether urgent care or a walk-in clinic is a better fit
Before you get in the car or sit in a waiting room, a quick call can save you time, stress and money if your condition is non-emergent.
Your doctor may be more available than you think
Before heading to urgent care, many members don’t realize that their primary care practice may offer extended hours, same-day appointments or after-hours guidance, especially if they are part of a BCBSM Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) practice.
PCMH practices are designed to give members more access, more support and more coordinated care, including during evenings, weekends and holidays. They often offer:
- Same-day or next-day appointments for urgent needs
- After-hours phone support to help you determine next steps
- Care teams that help manage chronic conditions and keep small issues from becoming big and costly
- Better coordination, reducing unnecessary ER visits and hospitalizations
Combined with the 24-hour nurse line, members can often get advice or care from trusted professionals without visiting an ER or urgent care at all.
If your doctor’s office participates in a PCMH model, they’ll often have instructions posted on their website or voicemail about how to reach on-call staff after hours.
What is the difference between urgent care centers and walk-in clinics?
Urgent care centers and retail walk-in health clinics are affordable and convenient options if your doctor isn’t available. Retail health clinics are walk-in clinics found in many large pharmacies and stores. They are often located near pharmacies so patients can conveniently pick up prescriptions after their visit. Typically, walk-in clinics offer care on a first come, first served basis, and do not take appointments.
An urgent care center typically has more capabilities than a walk-in clinic. Urgent care centers treat more serious non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries. Their purpose is to help patients avoid the type of expensive medical care they would receive in a hospital emergency room. Urgent care centers can help with moderate symptoms when you're doctor's office is closed, which is usually the case on national holidays.
If you need an X-ray, blood drawn or a wrist splint, many urgent care centers can do that, too. When your symptoms aren't severe, qualified professionals at urgent care centers can provide care that's more cost-effective and convenient than an ER.
If you do require the kind of severe, immediate emergency assistance that these two options cannot provide, dial 9-1-1 and call an ambulance.
Where do I find urgent care near me?
Many urgent care clinics are open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, including on holidays and weekends. BCBSM and Blue Care Network (BCN) members can log into their member account online at bcbsm.com and browse the list of urgent care centers that are located near them and covered by their plan.
Members have access to a toll-free, 24-hour nurse line at 800-775-BLUE (2583). You can also use this Urgent Care Association search tool to find an accredited urgent care center near you.
Click here to learn more about BCBSM's commitment to affordability.
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