Find the right care at the right time.

When you need medical care, you have a variety of options for seeking treatment from a provider. The best option can depend on the symptoms you’re experiencing and how quickly you need care.

Find the right care at the right time. Find the right care at the right time.

Know Where to Go for Care

Use the lists below to help determine when to seek medical care from an urgent care or walk-in clinic vs. the emergency room.

Gray-haired woman with glasses smiling while waiting in an urgent care's lobby

Urgent or Walk-In Clinic

Urgent care or walk-in clinics help fill a vital gap when you become sick or injured, your regular doctor is not available and you can't wait for an appointment.

Examples include:

  • Body aches
  • Colds
  • Cough
  • Diarrhea
  • Earache
  • Fever below 104 degrees
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Minor burns
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Rash
  • Sore throat
  • Strains and sprains
  • Urinary tract infection (UTI)

Yellow ambulance rushing toward the ER

Emergency Room (ER)

Certain medical conditions are considered emergencies because they require rapid or advanced treatments including surgery or care for life and limb-threatening situations.

Examples include:

  • Allergic reactions
  • Broken bones
  • Chest pain
  • Deep wounds
  • Difficulty speaking
  • Fever above 104 degrees
  • Head trauma
  • Heat illness
  • Heavy bleeding
  • Overdose
  • Seizure or numbness
  • Sever abdominal pain
  • Shortness of breath

Did you know?

Many people use the ER as a place to receive care after hours for minor illnesses or injuries without realizing they have another option. Urgent care clinics include: 

  • Extended hours:  Urgent care clinics are usually open seven days a week and have extended evening hours.
  • Shorter wait times:  Most urgent care clinics have shorter wait times and can see you faster than the ER for minor conditions.
  • Cost-efficiency:  Urgent care visits usually cost a fraction of what emergency room visits do.

View our provider directory

Visit our provider directory to find a provider near you.

BESHP, Inc. (D.B.A. MyAdvocate Medicare Advantage), is an HMO-POS plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in BESHP, Inc. depends on contract renewal. BESHP, Inc. complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude or treat people differently on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, pregnancy and related conditions, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, sex stereotypes, sex characteristics and intersex traits), age, disability, health status, marital status, arrest or conviction record or military participation in the administration of the plan, including enrollment and benefit determinations.


CMS ID Number: H0816_MyAMAWebsite_07-25_NE_M

2025 MyAdvocate Medicare Advantage (BESHP, Inc.). All rights reserved.

Last Updated On: 7.9.2025 at 3:00 PM