How is Emergency Care Different?
TRICARE defines an emergency as a medical condition that a “prudent layperson” – someone with an average knowledge of health and medicine – believes could threaten life, limb or eyesight without immediate treatment. If the situation requires immediate medical treatment, or there are painful symptoms requiring immediate attention to relieve suffering, the situation is an emergency. Examples of emergency situations include, but are not limited to, the following: • Severe bleeding • Chest pains • No pulse • Inability to breathe • Spinal cord or back injury • Severe eye injuries • Broken bones In an emergency, call 911 or go (or be taken to) the nearest emergency room for treatment. Be sure to contact your primary care manager (PCM) or TriWest within 24 hours if the emergency room visit results in an inpatient admission, so ongoing care can be coordinated.
