Emergency Medical Needs
Emergencies are when you are physically in danger and need medical help right away.
Call 911 or go to an emergency room (ER) immediately if you:
- Are having trouble breathing
- Are bleeding severely
- Are suffering from chest or abdominal pain
- Think you may have a head injury
- Have lost consciousness
- Are afraid for your life for any reason
- Are experiencing additional warning signs your provider told you to look out for.
If you have health insuranceA type of insurance that pays for some or all of your medical expenses.
, it will cover the costs of an emergency room visit as long as it is for an emergency medical condition.
If you do not have health insurance and go to a non-Indian Health Service (IHS) or Tribal emergency room, you must report it to the IHS Purchased/Referred CareA program that pays for medical services that are not available at Indian Health Service or Tribal facilities. Used to be called Contract Health. (PRC) within 72 hours or IHS will not cover the medical costs. If you are age 65 or older, or you are physically or mentally disabled, you have up to 30 days to notify IHS Purchased/Referred Care.
Urgent Medical Needs
If you are sick or injured but not afraid for your life and cannot get into your regular healthcare provider within the next day or two, you can go to an Urgent CareCare that you get for a sudden illness or injury that is not life threatening. If it is not safe to wait until you can get care from a provider in your health plan’s network, the plan will pay for the care. clinic. Some commercial pharmacies also offer a walk-in clinic for minor illnesses and injuries.
If you have health insuranceA type of insurance that pays for some or all of your medical expenses.
, call the clinic before you go to make sure that they will accept your health insurance. You may have to wait anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to be seen, depending on how many patients are waiting.
If you do not have health insurance, you must report your Urgent Care visit to the IHS PRC department within 72 hours or IHS will not cover the costs of your care. If you are age 65 or older, or you are physically or mentally disabled, you have up to 30 days to notify IHS Purchased/Referred Care.
Non-Urgent Medical Needs
See your regular healthcare provider when you notice a major change to your body or if you feel bad for more than a few days. Call the provider’s office and ask to be seen. If your Community Health Representatives (CHRs) visit, you can ask for their advice. Some examples of when to be seen are: lumps or changes to your skin, experiencing pain, or feeling tired.
Remember to always get a yearly check-up with a primary care provider who cares for most common medical conditions, and who can refer you for other care if needed. Your primary care providerA health professional who practices general medicine and helps to coordinate all the different kinds of care you may need. might recommend that you get more frequent check-ups or come in for regular appointments to monitor a condition. Go to all of these appointments and don’t cancel or reschedule them without talking to your healthcare provider.