Urgent Care vs. Emergency Room: How to Choose Where to Go

Red flags and urgency levels

• EmergencyCall 911 or go to an emergency department now

  Call 911 now for choking; stopped breathing; severe chest pain or pressure; severe shortness of breath; sudden one-sided weakness or drooping; sudden inability to speak, see, walk, or move; a head injury with loss of consciousness, fainting, or confusion; or a seizure with delayed awakening.

• EmergencyCall 911 or go to an emergency department now

  Call 911 for suspected heart-attack symptoms — do not drive yourself.

• EmergencyCall 911 or go to an emergency department now

  Call 911 for stroke warning signs; do not drive yourself; note the time symptoms started.

• EmergencyCall 911 or go to an emergency department now

  Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department for a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).

• EmergencyCall 911 or go to an emergency department now

  Heavy bleeding; fainting or loss of consciousness; severe pain; deep wounds; serious burns; a possible major open fracture; coughing or vomiting blood; poisoning or overdose; or high fever with headache and a stiff neck.

• UrgentSeek care today

  A sudden illness or injury that is not life-threatening but cannot wait for your usual clinician.

• SoonMake an appointment within days to a couple of weeks

  You are unsure which setting to use and do not have the serious emergency conditions listed above — call your clinician, on-call provider, or nurse advice line.

• MonitorKeep track and mention it at your next visit

  Stable, non-urgent concerns that can wait for scheduled primary care or telehealth when your clinician agrees a delay is reasonable.

• Choosing where to go is often the first decision — primary care or telehealth, urgent care, the emergency department, or calling 911.
• Public Marketplace definitions: an emergency medical condition is so serious that a reasonable person would seek care right away to avoid severe harm; urgent care is for a problem serious enough to seek care right away, but not so severe it requires emergency-room care.
• Medicare describes urgently needed care as treatment for a sudden illness or injury that is not a medical emergency or life-threatening — different from emergency department services.
• Urgent care commonly handles mild illnesses and minor injuries, but capabilities vary by clinic — ask what your local site can and cannot do.
• Emergency care is often more expensive than the same care in an office or urgent care, and plans may charge higher emergency-department copays. Cost differences are not a reason to delay life-threatening care.
• For many life-threatening problems, call 911 so responders can start care on the way. For stroke and suspected heart-attack symptoms, do not drive yourself.
• If you are unsure and you do not have emergency warning signs, calling your clinician or a nurse advice line first can help you choose the right setting.
• Telehealth coverage and what can be handled remotely vary by plan and problem — confirm with your clinician or insurer.

1. 1

   If any emergency red flag applies, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department now.

2. 2

   For stroke warning signs or suspected heart-attack symptoms, call 911 — do not drive yourself — and note when symptoms started.

3. 3

   If the problem is not life-threatening or disability-risking but cannot wait for your usual clinician, use urgent care.

4. 4

   If you are unsure and you do not have emergency warning signs, call your clinician, on-call provider, or nurse advice line before choosing a setting.

5. 5

   Before you need care, save phone numbers for your clinician, the closest emergency department, a nurse advice line, and a nearby urgent care clinic.

6. 6

   For stable, non-urgent concerns, use scheduled primary care or telehealth when your clinician agrees waiting is reasonable.

7. 7

   Bring insurance cards, a medication list, allergies, and your top questions; bring key records if the site does not already have them.

8. 8

   After urgent or emergency care, tell your primary clinician what happened and share records when needed.

9. 9

   Ask about cost and network after the emergency is handled — do not delay emergency care to call your insurer first.

• “Given my symptoms, which setting is safer next — primary care, telehealth, urgent care, the ER, or calling 911?”
• “Which warning signs should make me call 911 rather than drive or wait?”
• “When should an urgent care visit send me on to the emergency department?”
• “Do you or my plan offer a nurse advice or after-hours line I should use first when I am unsure?”
• “What should I bring, and how should records from urgent care or the ER get back to you?”

• When to use the emergency room - adultMedlinePlus (NIH)
• Recognizing medical emergenciesMedlinePlus (NIH)
• AnaphylaxisMedlinePlus (NIH)
• Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and RecoveryCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
• Stroke Signs and SymptomsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
• Emergency department servicesCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• Urgently needed careCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• Urgent careHealthCare.gov
• Emergency medical conditionHealthCare.gov
• Emergency servicesHealthCare.gov
• TelehealthMedlinePlus (NIH)
• Be More Engaged in Your Health CareAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• How To Prepare for a Doctor's AppointmentNational Institute on Aging (NIH)
• Heart Attack SymptomsNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH)

• How to prepare for a doctor's appointment
• Chest pain or pressure
• Shortness of breath
• Headaches (when to worry)
• Getting your medical records
• High blood pressure
• Appealing an insurance denial