When you"re not feeling well, it"s easy to panic and rush off to the emergency room (ER). There is no denying that the ER is the best option for true medical emergencies. However, knowing when you should go, and learning what to expect once you"re there will help you get better care and may help you avoid huge medical bills and long waits.
Urgent Care Center or ER? The first question to ask yourself is if you"ll be better served at an urgent care center, or the ER. The ER should be used for serious or life-threatening conditions.
Go to an Urgent Care Center if… If you have a cough, broken bone, burn, cut that requires stitches, or a stomach virus, think about going to an urgent care center. The wait times are much shorter, and both copays and overall cost to you are lower – often dramatically lower.
Once you"re at an urgent care center or ER, be prepared to share any medical information that might help. This can include a list of your current medications and supplements, as well as details about allergies, previous hospital stays, prior surgeries, chronic illnesses, family health problems, and vaccinations.
Keep this information stored in your phone or in a readily available place at home so that you can grab it quickly.
Keep Your Insurance Papers Ready The Affordable Care Act requires insurance companies to cover ER care for emergency medical conditions. You won"t need to get approval for the care ahead of time, and you"ll get the care even if the facility is outside of your insurance network.
But if the problem is not an emergency, you may be better off getting the care with your regular doctor, or if the office is closed, at an urgent care center.
Finally, after an ER visit, make sure to review your ER bills in full. Most insurance plans cover ER fees for genuine medical emergencies, but you may still need to submit paperwork to your provider, particularly if you are treated by someone outside of your network, or if it is judged to be a non-emergency condition.
Dr. Bunten is originally from Huntington Beach, CA. He attended high school in Tokyo, Japan, went to college at UC San Diego and then to medical school in the Midwest. He returned home to California for residency training in Family Medicine at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. His immediate family all reside in Huntington Beach.
Dr Fishbein has been in the practice of family medicine for over 35 years in Irvine. He received his undergraduate degree from Southern Illinois University, medical degree from Chicago Medical School, and completed his family medicine residency at Memorial Hospital of Long Beach.
Dr. Kim is the Medical Director of Family Care Centers, Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at Hoag Hospital, and a recipient of the Physicians of Excellence award from the Orange County Medical Association. He is Board Certified in Family Medicine, and has been practicing in our community for over 20 years.
Dr. Memon is a board certified Family Medicine physician and recently completed her fellowship in Geriatrics at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. She attended Saint George’s University, School of Medicine and completed her residency at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. Her interest in medicine started at an early age and has since evolved into a passionate career.
Dr. Gina Nguyen obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at UC Irvine where she graduated Suma Cum Laude. She went to USC Keck School of Medicine, and returned to UC Irvine for a Family Medicine Residency. Since 2005, she worked at Kaiser Permanente, VNCOC, and Family Care Center Urgent Care.
Dr. Williams is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Sports Medicine. He is a native to Orange County and returned home after completing his medical degree at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. After completing his residency in family practice he successfully completed a fellowship in sports medicine.
Dr. Hye Lee is a board-certified Family Practice Physician, affiliated with the American Osteopathic Association and the American College of Osteopathic Family Practice.She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at UC Riverside and earned her medical degree from Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center. Afterward, she did her internship at Downey Regional Medical Center in California and has been a primary care physician since 2005.
Dr. Coyne is a board certified family practice physician and a California native. He completed his undergraduate degree at UCLA before earning his medical degree at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Dr Coyne spent 6 years in the US Air Force at Andrews and Luke Air Force bases, eventually separating as a Major. He enjoys working with patients of all ages.”
Dr. Jay Friehling is a Family Practice physician who has worked in Orange County since 1981. Born in Florida, he received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and then earned a Medical Degree at the New York Medical College.” His healthcare interests include Diabetes, Geriatric Care, and Hospice Care.
Dr. Jennifer Shoquist is board certified in Family Medicine. Her special interest is woman’s health and her practice accepts patients from 6 years old to seniors. Dr. Shoquist received her M.D. degree at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston in Houston, Texas, and did her residency with Memorial Family Practice at memorial Southwest Hospital in Houston, Texas.
Dr. Tom is a board certified family medicine physician and native Californian. He received his bachelors of science with great distinction in biochemistry and honors in chemistry. Dr. Tom was awarded a Regents Scholarship to attend medical school at UC Irvine.
Dr. Yan attended Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her Family Practice residency at Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, California. She joined Family Care Center in 2001. She chose Family Practice because she enjoys working with a wide variety of people and because it provides a unique opportunity for continuing care.
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