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Emergency Care and Ambulance Services

When You Should Go To the Emergency Room

Emergency room care is very expensive. Do not go to the emergency room for care that should take place in your PCP’s office. Routine care for things like sore throats, colds, flu, and back pain or tension headaches is not considered an emergency.

If you do not know whether or not your condition is an emergency, call your PCP. Call your dental plan for dental questions. You may call your PCP or dentist any time, day or night. Someone is always available to give you advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Speak to the provider on-call, even if he/she is not your usual PCP or dentist. Many times they can see you in the office or send you to an Urgent Care instead of the emergency room. If you go to the emergency room for something that is not a true emergency you may be responsible for the cost of your care.

An emergency is a serious threat to your health or to your unborn baby’s health if you are pregnant. If you do have a serious health crisis, illness or accident call 911 or go to your closest emergency room. Tell them that you are a member of InterCommunity Health Network. Then ask them to call your PCP. Some examples of possible medical emergency situations are:

• Chest pain
• Trouble breathing
• Bleeding that does not stop after pressure is applied
• Broken bones
• Loss of consciousness or blacking out
• Rape or assault
• Drug or other poisoning
• Severe burns

When you have a dental emergency, call your dentist or dental plan. If you do not have a dental plan and cannot find a dentist who will provide care for a dental emergency, SAFENET may be able to help. You may call SAFENET at 1-800-723-3638 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Hospital Locations

Hospital care is provided at the Hospitals and Emergency Facilities listed below:

Albany

• Samaritan Albany General Hospital
• 1046 6th Ave SW
• Albany, OR 97321
• 812-4000 or TTY 1-800-735-2900

Corvallis

• Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center
• 3600 NW Samaritan Drive
• Corvallis, OR 97330
• 765-5111 or TTY 1-800-735-2900

Lebanon

• Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital
• 525 North Santiam Highway
• Lebanon, OR 97355
• 258-2101 or TTY 1-800-735-2900

If you need treatment that one of these hospitals is not able to provide, you will be referred to a different hospital.

Emergency Care When You Are Away From Home

The same guidelines above apply if you are traveling and are away from home. You can still call your PCP or dentist.

When You Should Call For An Ambulance

You don’t always need to call for an ambulance to take you to the medical services you need. You can:

• Call your nearest family member
• Call your neighbor
• Call a friend

Call an ambulance if…

Your PCP tells you to call 911 or if you are experiencing the following:

• Chest pain
• Trouble breathing
• Bleeding that does not stop after pressure is applied
• Broken bones
• Loss of consciousness or blacking out
• Rape or assault
• Drug or other poisoning
• Severe burns

IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOUR CONDITION IS AN EMERGENCY, CALL YOUR PCP OR YOUR DENTAL PLAN.

InterCommunity Health Network does not pay for ambulance rides that are not true emergencies or when the ambulance ride was used for a non-covered diagnosis. Remember that if you take an ambulance for a non-covered diagnosis or when it is not a true emergency, you may be responsible for the cost of that ambulance ride.

Use ambulances for emergencies only!

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