Know Your In-Network Options

Saber adónde acudir para recibir atención médica podría reducir el tiempo y el dinero que gasta en consultas al médico. Tanto si tiene la nariz tapada como un hueso roto, conozca sus opciones y cuándo debe utilizarlas.

An illustration showing some care options with road signs. The title reads "Here's your sign to save time and save money." A road sign reading "Emergency" with three dollar signs points to an Emergency Room building. A road sign reading "Urgent Care" with two dollar signs points the opposite direction.

An illustration of a road sign with a doctor reading "Routine Care: Primary Care" and one dollar sign points down a road towards a primary care center.

Cuidado de salud primario

Low Costs, Personal Care

If you have an HMO or POS plan, visiting your primary care provider (PCP) is often your lowest cost option for general or preventive health care. With your PCP, sometimes known as your family doctor, you can expect:

Care for moderately severe symptoms
Moderate wait times
Low costs

Don't have a PCP or want to find a new doctor? Search your in-network options through your member account or as a guest.

Busque un médico

When To Make an Appointment

Annual exams or physicals, vaccines, and flu or COVID-19 shots
Cuando tenga una enfermedad o lesión leve
To get help for a persisting chronic illness

What Your PCP Can Help With

Preventive services, screenings and tests
Sore throat, cough or cold and flu symptoms
Dolor de espalda o dolor muscular
Fiebre leve
Bumps, scratches or rashes
Infecciones respiratorias

A road sign reading "Minor Headache: Virtual Visit" with one dollar sign points to a hand holding a cellphone with a doctor on screen via video call.

Atención médica virtual

Expert Advice With Less Waiting

Depending on your plan, you may have virtual care as a covered benefit. For example, many individual or family plans include Virtual Visits, powered by MDLIVE^®. With Virtual Visits, you can meet with a board-certified doctor 24/7 from your phone or computer.¹ When you use virtual care, expect:

Care for low severe symptoms
Low wait times
Moderate costs

Learn more about some of the virtual care options offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois plans.²

Explore Virtual Care

When To Plan a Virtual Visit

For minor injuries or illnesses that happen after your doctor's office hours
For help with common health concerns or behavioral health
To meet with a doctor when you're traveling or away from home

What Virtual Care Can Help With

Sore throat, cough or cold and flu symptoms
Dolor de espalda o dolor muscular
Fiebre leve
Bumps, scratches or rashes
Infecciones respiratorias
Reacciones alérgicas menores

A road sign reading "Common Cold/Fever: Urgent Care" with two dollar signs points down a road towards an urgent care center.

Urgent Care (Atención médica inmediata)

Great Care at Flexible Hours

Urgent care, sometimes called prompt care, can help with non-emergency situations when you can't make it to your PCP. You may have to pay more, but they're often open later hours and accept walk-in patients:

Care for moderately severe symptoms
Moderate wait times
Moderate costs

To find urgent care centers in your network, search^® our Provider Finder tool.

Buscar atención médica inmediata

When To Visit Urgent Care

When you need help over the weekend or after hours when your doctor's office isn't open
When you want a walk-in option for an immediate medical concern
When you think you may need X-rays or stitches

What Urgent Care Can Help With

Esguinces, distensiones y fracturas menores
Cortes que podrían requerir sutura
Pulmonís o síntomas de gripe y resfríos
Non-emergency allergic reactions
Quemaduras menores

Road sign reading "Chest Pains: Emergency" and three dollar signs points down a road towards an emergency room.

Sala de emergencias

Limited Use for Severe Cases

Emergency rooms (ERs) are normally the most expensive way to get care when you need help. You should only visit the ER when you have a severe or life-threatening medical emergency. This applies for both ERs in hospitals and free-standing ERs, or FSERs. When you visit an ER, you can expect:

Care for high severity symptoms
High wait times
High costs

Before traveling to the ER, understand what is an emergency and what isn't.

Know What's an Emergency

Cuándo acudir a la sala de emergencias

La sala de emergencias se debe usar únicamente en situaciones que pongan en peligro la vida del paciente. Visiting the ER when you could count on another care option will cost you money and time. Visit the ER when you're experiencing:

Signs of a heart attack, like chest pain or shortness of breath
Signs of a stroke, like confusion, stumbling or facial droop
To get X-rays, stitches or wound dressings for severe injuries

What the ER Can Help With

Síntomas similares a un accidente cerebrovascular
Sangrado o lesión grave
Dolor en el pecho o dificultad para respirar
Severe stomach pains

¹ Se necesita conexión a Internet/Internet inalámbrico para acceder desde una computadora. Pueden aplicarse cargos de datos. Repase los datos de su celular o el plan de su proveedor de servicios de Internet para obtener más detalles. El servicio médico que no es de emergencia en Idaho, Montana y New Mexico está limitado a consultas por audio/video interactivo (video solamente), así como la posibilidad de recetar. El servicio médico que no es de emergencia en Arkansas está limitado a una consulta inicial de audio/video interactivo (video solamente), junto con la posibilidad de recetar. El servicio de salud mental está limitado a audio/video interactivo (video solamente), junto con la posibilidad de recetar en todos los estados. La disponibilidad del servicio depende de la ubicación al momento de la consulta.

² Virtual Visits, Powered by MDLIVE, pueden no estar disponibles en todas las coberturas. Las consultas virtuales están sujetas a los términos y condiciones de su cobertura, incluidos beneficios, limitaciones y exclusiones. MDLIVE funciona conforme a las regulaciones estatales y puede no estar disponible en ciertos estados. MDLIVE no es un producto de seguro ni un centro de surtido de recetas médicas. MDLIVE no garantiza el surtido de una receta médica. MDLIVE no receta sustancias controladas por la Administración para el Control de Drogas (DEA, en inglés), medicamentos no terapéuticos ni algunos otros medicamentos que pudieran ser nocivos ante el potencial de que las personas abusen de su uso. Los médicos de MDLIVE se reservan el derecho a negar atención médica por posible mal uso de los servicios.

MDLIVE opera y administra el programa de consultas virtuales, y es el único responsable de su funcionamiento y el de sus proveedores contratados. MDLIVE y el logotipo de MDLIVE son marcas registradas de MDLIVE, Inc. y no pueden ser utilizados sin una autorización por escrito.

Blue Cross^®, Blue Shield^® y los símbolos de la cruz y el escudo son marcas de servicio registradas de Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, una asociación independiente de Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.