Medi-Cal Urgent Care
On a Sunday morning, you have the chills and a fever. Your doctor’s office is closed. The illness is not an emergency, but you still want to feel better now.
At Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, we want you to get care when you need it. That’s why we work with local urgent care clinics to get you same-day care for non-life-threatening medical needs. These clinics have daytime, evening, and weekend hours. This is when most doctors’ offices are closed.
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for life-threatening illness or injury. Do not go to the urgent care clinic for anything you think is life-threatening.
If you can’t get to your PCP, or if urgent care is unavailable, then Teladoc is also an option.
Advantages of urgent care clinics
- Shorter waiting times
- Trained doctors and staff
- Care for children and adults for urgent, non-life-threatening conditions including:
- Broken bones
- Flu and allergy symptoms
- Rashes
- Sprains or strains
- Fevers
- Minor infections
- Minor burns and cuts
- Earaches, headaches, and stomach aches
- Sore throat and coughing
Local urgent care clinics
To find an urgent care center near you, you can:
1. Call the Nurse Advice Line at (800) 609-4166 (TTY: 711), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
2. Call Blue Shield Promise Medi-Cal Member Services
Los Angeles: (800) 605-2556 (TTY: 711), 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday
San Diego: (855) 699-5557 (TTY: 711), 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday
3. Call your PCP’s office at the phone number listed on your Blue Shield Promise Medi-Cal ID card.
4. Call your medical group at the phone number listed on your Blue Shield Promise Medi-Cal ID card.
5. Search the provider directory for urgent care clinics near you:
It is important that you always carry your Blue Shield Promise Medi-Cal ID card with you.
| Type of Urgent Care Appointment | Standard Wait Time** |
|---|---|
| For urgent care, if a prior authorization is not needed | Within 48 hours of the request for appointment |
| For urgent care, if a prior authorization is needed* | Within 96 hours of the request for appointment |
| Specialist, if a prior authorization is not needed | Within 48 hours of the request for appointment |
| Behavioral health | Within 48 hours of the request for appointment |
Find a provider
Nurse Advice Line
Teladoc
Talk to a board-certified doctor 24/7/365 over the phone or video chat.
Behavioral and mental health services
Blue Shield Promise Medi-Cal provides mental health and substance use disorder services through primary care physicians (PCPs), licensed behavioral health providers, and county providers and agencies.
*Prior authorization may be needed if you are seeing a provider who is not part of your medical group.
**The standard wait times do not apply to preventive care appointments.