Getting Care 24/7 in Texas

Know where to go for the care you need

Your health care needs don’t always follow a schedule. Learn where to go when you or your family needs care, no matter what time of day it is.

Your Primary Care Provider

Your primary care provider is your main doctor. This is who you’ll visit for most of your health care needs and is listed on your ID card. Your provider will:

Get to know you and your health history.

Work with you to find specialists, treatment plans, and medicines when needed.

When you’re sick or hurt, always call your primary care provider first (unless it’s an emergency). Even after normal hours, someone from the office should be on call and able to help.

If you haven’t gone to your primary doctor before, call and make a new patient appointment as soon as you can. It is a good idea to visit them when you are well to help them learn about your medical history before any health issues occur.

You can change your primary care provider anytime.

To find a provider in our plan, use our Find Care search tool.

To change your provider, log in to your secure account or chat with a representative via Live Chat.

24-hour Nurse HelpLine

833-731-2160 (TTY 711) | STAR Kids members: 844-756-4600 (TTY 711)

24-hour Nurse HelpLine lets you call and speak with a nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — even on holidays.

A registered nurse can help:

Answer questions about health concerns.

Find a doctor, urgent care center, or walk-in clinic.

Schedule an appointment with your primary care provider or another provider in our plan.

Getting care after-hours

Call your primary care provider. Even if your provider’s office is closed when you call, you can leave a message with your name and phone number. Someone from their office should call you back within 30 minutes.

You can also call 24-hour Nurse HelpLine or get care with LiveHealth Online, a no-cost way to video chat with a doctor in minutes.

LiveHealth Online

LiveHealth Online lets you visit a doctor through video chat on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. It’s an easy way to get care for you or your family without leaving home.

With LiveHealth Online you get:

Care right away for common health problems like colds, the flu, or sore throats.

Prescriptions sent right to your pharmacy if needed*.

Access to schedule an appointment with a doctor who speaks Spanish using Cuidado Médico on LiveHealth Online.

* Prescriptions determined to be a “controlled substance” (as defined by the Controlled Substances Act under federal law) cannot be prescribed using LiveHealth Online.

LiveHealth Online is the trade name of Health Management Corporation, a separate company providing telehealth services on behalf of Wellpoint.

LiveHealth Online services are not available for all members.

Urgent or after-hours care

An urgent medical condition is when care is needed for a sudden illness, injury, or condition that is not an emergency, but needs to be treated right away.

You may need urgent care if you have:

Minor burns.

Earaches.

A very sore throat.

An injury from a fall.

Frequent vomiting.

A cut that’s deep enough to need stitches.

A fever over 101 degrees Fahrenheit.

Muscle sprains, strains, or broken bones.

To find an urgent care center near you, use our Find Care search tool.

Emergency care

Are you unsure if you need to go to the emergency room (ER)? Any injury or illness that immediately threatens your life needs to be treated by a first response team. Call 911 or go to the nearest hospital ER if you:

Have chest pains.

Have trouble breathing.

Are bleeding badly.

Are pregnant and have signs of harm to yourself or your baby like pain, bleeding, fever, or vomiting.

Feel like you might hurt yourself or someone else.

Note: This is not an all-inclusive list of why you might need to go to the ER.

Call your primary care provider as soon as you get out of the ER or urgent care center. Your provider can help you set up follow-up care.