When you or someone you care for isn’t feeling well, it can sometimes be hard to know what to do. Bridget McCabe, M.D., BCBSRI Senior Medical Director, recommends this simple tool that can help you determine where you should look for care. By learning this information now, you’ll be better prepared to decide where to seek help in the future.  

Please note that the symptoms listed are examples and don’t include all of the possible health issues you may experience.  Please consult your healthcare provider for personalized guidance. The information provided below is not medical advice and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. In an emergency, always call 911.

🟢 Green Light: Call your primary care provider (PCP)

If you have the symptoms below, you may be able to treat them at home if they are mild. You could also call your PCP to seek advice or schedule an appointment. You can call your PCP’s office 24/7 to talk with a provider.  

• Cough, sore throat, fever
• Ear or sinus pain
• Seasonal allergies
• Minor bumps and scrapes
• Skin rashes and bug bites  
• Mild headache, tiredness, or other non-severe issues  

If you don’t have a PCP, use our Find Care tool to find one in your network.  

🟡 Yellow Light: Go to urgent care

If you aren’t able to see your PCP and you're experiencing the symptoms below, consider going to a nearby urgent care facility.

• Cold or flu symptoms that are getting worse
• Pain, swelling, or discomfort that isn’t improving
• Worsening symptoms of pre-existing health conditions, such as very high or very low blood sugars, blood pressure readings, or heart rate
• Sprains
• Minor cuts and burns

You can find in-network urgent care practices, including ones that treat pediatric patients, by using our Find Care tool.   

🔴 Red Light: Go to an emergency room or call 911

Seek immediate medical attention if you’re experiencing any of the following:

• Difficulty breathing
• Choking
• Heart attack/chest pain that is new, worsening, or associated with exertion. Note if it is persistent, radiating, or related to movement or touch. Also note if it feels like pressure, with a squeezing, fullness, or heaviness sensation across the chest.  
• Confusion, fainting, dizziness, or difficulty waking up
• Seizures
• Severe bleeding that won’t stop
• Severe injuries, especially to the neck or spine
• Possible broken bones.  Tell 911 if you can no longer move a part of your body or if a bone is pushing through skin
• Sudden severe headache, numbness, or weakness
• Severe burns
• Stroke symptoms, including trouble speaking or walking, and numbness, weakness, or drooping in your face, arm, or leg—especially on one side of the body
• Severe allergic reactions

You can use our Find Care tool to locate general hospitals near you.

How to handle other medical emergencies

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or is experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, call 988. If you believe they are overdosing or causing immediate harm to themselves or others, call 911.  

If you or someone around you swallows or comes in contact with something that might be poisonous, help is available with Poison Control. Contact Poison Control immediately if you suspect poisoning, even if symptoms haven’t developed yet. If the individual collapses, has a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can’t be awakened, call 911 right away.

Some of this information and other examples can be found on the Rhode Island Department of Health’s Right Place, Right Care page.