Urgent Care

What is urgent care?

Urgent care is for health care you need within 48 hours to prevent serious damage to your health from sudden illness, injury or a complication you already have. It is not for an emergency or life-threatening condition.

For emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

How do I find urgent care?

If you think you need urgent care, call your primary care provider (PCP). If their office is closed or they are unavailable, you may be able to access an urgent visit appointment.

An urgent visit allows you to visit a provider’s office that is not your PCP without a referral from your PCP or the Alliance Nurse Advice Line (NAL). However, you should contact the 24/7 Alliance NAL at 844-971-8907 (TTY: Dial 711) to determine if an urgent visit is required or if you should wait for routine care from your PCP.

For quick and easy viewing of urgent visit locations that are available in your county, use the links below:

• View Urgent Visit Access Offices in Mariposa County.
• View Urgent Visit Access Offices in Merced County.
• View Urgent Visit Access Offices in Monterey County.
• View Urgent Visit Access Offices in San Benito County.
• View Urgent Visit Access Offices in Santa Cruz County.

For the most up-to-date information, you can search the Provider Directory for PCP offices that provide urgent visits:

1. Go to the Provider Directory.
2. Select your health plan.
3. Select Primary Care Providers (PCP).
4. Select "Urgent Visit Access Offices" and select your county.

If you are out of area and need an urgent visit, call your PCP. Your PCP will need to request authorization for you to be seen by an out of area provider.

When and how do I use emergency care?

Emergency care is for life-threatening medical emergencies. A medical emergency is a condition with severe pain or serious injury. Medical emergencies are so serious that without immediate attention, they may result in:

• Serious risk to your health.
• Serious harm to bodily functions.
• Serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part.
• In the case of a pregnant person in active labor, when either of the following would occur:
  • There is not enough time to safely transfer you to another hospital before delivery.
  • The transfer may pose a threat to your health or safety or to that of your unborn child.

The emergency room (ER) is not for routine health care. It is for health problems that could put your health or your unborn baby’s health in danger if you do not get care right away.

Get emergency care for:

• Active labor.
• A broken bone.
• Severe pain, especially in the chest.
• Severe burns.
• Poisoning or drug overdose.
• Fainting.
• Severe bleeding.
• Psychiatric emergency, including thoughts of hurting yourself.
• Trouble breathing.
• Sudden, bad headache.
• Suddenly not being able to speak, see, walk or move.
• Seizures.
• Head or eye injury.

If you are not sure if your medical condition is an emergency, call your primary care provider (PCP). You may also call the 24/7 Nurse Advice Line.

Did you go to the emergency room in the past few days?

If so, you might be wondering what to do next. Find out what you can do next to stay healthy and not have to go back to the emergency room.