Emergency Rooms
Medical emergencies are illnesses that need immediate attention and need to be seen in the ER. Examples are trauma, surgical procedures, and situations that pose a risk to a person’s life or ongoing health. Emergency rooms are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Some examples of experiences that may lead to an ER visit include:
- Sudden numbness or weakness
- Disorientation or difficulty speaking
- Sudden dizziness or loss of coordination
- Seizure or loss of consciousness
- Shortness of breath or severe asthma attack
- Head injury/major trauma
- Blurry or loss of vision
- Severe cuts or burns
- Heart attack, chest pain, or chest pressure
- Overdose
- Uncontrolled bleeding
- Coughing or vomiting blood
- Severe allergic reactions
Urgent Care Centers
An urgent care center handles medical situations that typically are not going to pose a risk to one’s life or potential long-term health. They are staffed with doctors, nurses and ancillary staff that can perform diagnostic imaging studies, labs, sutures onsite. Most urgent care centers are open beyond clinic hours and some weekends and holidays. Some examples of treatable experiences in an urgent care center:
- Earaches and infections
- Minor cuts, sprains, and burns
- Fever and flu symptoms
- Cough, cold, and sore throat
- Animal bites
- Mild asthma
- Urinary tract infections
- Headaches
- Back and joint pain
Strategies to prevent inappropriate ER visits
There are several strategies to address inappropriate ER visits among college students that schools can consider:
- Advice/Support: If students are unsure of whether to visit an ER or urgent care center, nurse advice or triage hotlines can provide an opportunity for students to discuss their symptoms, and a registered nurse may be able to help decide what type of care they need. Wellfleet’s Nurseline allows members to talk to a registered nurse 24/7 at no additional cost.2 Schools may also independently provide or contract with a nurse advice or triage line. Schools should consider what protocols could influence appropriate ER utilization.
- Education: As part of student orientations, health fairs, and other events that promote student awareness, consider educating students about different healthcare options available to them, including services available at the student health center, local urgent care centers, and telehealth services.
- Technology: Implement web- or app-based tools to help students assess their symptoms and direct them to the appropriate level of care. Healthcare navigation tools, such as WellFinder, are designed to offer potential avenues of care based on the presenting healthcare need, student preferences, and available care options.
- Data: Leveraging claims data and student feedback to understand ER utilization habits of students can help uncover opportunities to implement the aforementioned strategies or other appropriate solutions.
Resources:
1 Welfleet (2025 May) May Medical Management Report, when comparing 2024/25 to 2023/24 on an equivalent time period basis through April. Internal company document, not publicly available.
2 Some plans do not offer Nurseline. Refer to your member ID card to determine if these services are available under your plan and to find the phone number for each.
Wellfleet, Wellfleet Student, Wellfleet Special Risk, and Wellfleet Workplace are marketing names used to refer to the insurance and administrative operations of Wellfleet Insurance Company, Wellfleet New York Insurance Company, and Wellfleet Group, LLC (known in California only as Wellfleet Group, LLC dba Wellfleet Administrators, LLC). All insurance products are administered or managed by Wellfleet Group, LLC. Product availability is based upon business and/or regulatory approval and may differ among states.
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