When you need emergency care
Many people do not know when they should go to the emergency department (ED) for a health issue and when they do not need emergency care.
December 14, 2022
A medical emergency is a health issue that threatens your life or could cause permanent damage to your health. Here are examples of health emergencies* that need immediate attention.
- Difficulty breathing
- Severe chest pain or pressure
- Palpitations or fluttering in your heart
- Choking
- Severe bleeding
- Suddenly not being able to move or speak
- Suddenly not being able to feel an arm or leg
- Blacking out (fainting)`
- Poisoning
- Coughing or vomiting blood
- Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea
- Changes in mental status, such as confusion or unusual behavior
- Difficulty walking
- Changes in vision
- Sudden onset of the "worst headache of your life"
- Suicidal thoughts
- Thoughts of harming another person
- Severe abdominal pain
- Severe burns
- Broken bones
- Deep cuts
*This is not a complete list.
When you face these or other emergencies, take the following steps:
1. Go to the nearest ED
- Call 911 or use the nearest ED or hospital
- Call an ambulance if you need it
- Call 911 if:
- You cannot get to the ED right away
- You are unable to take yourself or have someone else take you
- It is not safe for you to move
2. Your Cityblock care team will call you within 48 hours after you receive emergency care in the ED. They will help you:
- Tell your PCP about the emergency
- Go to your PCP or specialist (not the ED) for any follow-up care
When it’s not an emergency
If your condition is not an emergency but you need care, follow these steps:
- Call your Cityblock care team at 1-833-904-2273 (TTY: 711); they can arrange for a provider to see you in your home to further assess your needs.
- Call your PCP’s office, even if it’s after hours or on the weekend
- Call your health plan and ask the name of your PCP if you don’t know who your PCP is
- Have someone, like your Cityblock care manager, call for you if you are unable to call yourself
- Follow your PCP’s advice. You may be told to see your PCP right away
- Your PCP may suggest that you go to an urgent care center or the ED
- If you do not have a PCP, try visiting an urgent care center or walk-in clinic
Tufts Health Unify is a health plan that contracts with both Medicare and MassHealth (Medicaid) to provide benefits of both programs to enrollees.