Learning Center . Learning Insurance . Where To Go For Care

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Where to go for care

Learn about where to go for care when you are sick or hurt.

If you are sick and need care that day

Call your doctor’s office:

Many clinics have appointments for same day care. Doctors are also on-call at night. This is the best place to get care if it is NOT an emergency.

Two cartoon medical professionals standing side by side, one with glasses and brown shoes, the other with a stethoscope and a red heart symbol on their coat.

Call a 24-hour nurse hotline:

Many insurance companies have their own hotline. Call your insurance company and ask what to do for treatment.

Person using a phone with a thought bubble showing a healthcare professional in a lab coat with a red cross.

Call to an urgent care clinic:

It usually takes less time than the emergency room and costs less. You don’t need an appointment. Call your insurance company to find a clinic near you, and make sure the clinic takes your insurance before you get care.

Illustration of a doctor and a nurse with stethoscopes standing outside a clinic

Your doctor or urgent care can help with these:

  • Earaches

  • Back pain

  • Fevers

  • Rashes

  • Minor cuts, burns, or injuries

  • Cough

  • Sore throat

  • Flu or cold symptoms

  • Sprains

  • Migraines

  • Headaches

If you have a medical emergency, or if you life is in danger:

Call 9-1-1 or go to the emergency room if your life is in danger.

Only go to the emergency room if it is an emergency. It’s the most expensive place to go when you’re sick and usually takes the most time.

If you have BadgerCare Plus, you will not have to pay for going to the E.R. if you have an emergency. If it is not an emergency, adults without children under age 19 will be charged $8 for each visit. BadgerCare Plus calls this a co-pay.

Illustration of a hospital with a decal marked 'ER' on the front, and an ambulance with '911' parked outside, connected by a pathway.
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You can download a printable PDF of this information

Click the image to download a copy in English and Spanish.

Infographic with tips for sick or injured individuals. Top section has a purple banner with white text saying 'I'm Sick or Hurt' and 'Where Do I Go for Care?' with icons of a house, ambulance, doctor, pharmacy, and hospital. The main body advises that no appointment is needed at an urgent care clinic and to ensure the clinic accepts your insurance. A red section warns only to go to the emergency room if it is an emergency, as it's the most expensive and takes the most time.