If You Get Sick

What happens when I visit a health care facility in the U.S.?

Check in with the receptionist
When you go to a health care facility, sign in with the receptionist and give him/her your insurance card. If it's your first time visiting, you'll need to provide information like your name, address, previous medical history, etc. After signing in, wait in the reception area until your name is called. If the facility requires appointments, you'll be seen at the time of your appointment. If it doesn't require appointments, you and other patients will be seen in the order of arrival.

Billing
Your insurance policy might specify a co-pay or co-insurance for your visit to the facility. If it does, you'll pay that before leaving the facility. In most cases, the facility will send your bill to your insurance company. The insurance company will compare your policy with the services you received and identify what your policy covers. The company will then pay the covered expenses, according to the benefits of your policy, and the health facility will send you a bill for the difference between the charges you incurred and what your insurance company covered. You can often pay by check or credit card.

Follow up
In some cases, the doctor might request that you make a follow-up appointment. In other cases, you won't need to visit the doctor again unless your condition worsens or does not improve.

Prescription medication
The doctor may decide that you need prescription medication. If so, his or her office will send your prescription to a local pharmacy. Please note that most insurance plans will share the cost of prescription medication with you, but not the cost of over-the-counter medication. See below for more information about getting a prescription.

In an Emergency

In the case of a life-threatening or serious medical emergency, go to a hospital emergency room. Call 911 for ambulance transportation if you do not have other transportation. At the emergency room, you and other patients there will be seen in the order of the severity of your condition. If you go to the emergency room for something that's not an emergency, the visit will be expensive and you may have to wait a long time to receive treatment. Your insurance provider may not pay for your treatment if you're not being treated for an emergency. If you need to see a doctor when our on-campus Heath and Counseling Services is closed, but it is not an emergency, go to OSF Prompt Care.

What is an emergency?
It may be difficult to judge what is an emergency. Consult the American College of Emergency Physicians for more information.

Dial 911 for any emergency
In the U.S., you can reach the police department, fire department, or ambulance by dialing 911. When you dial 911, an operator will answer the phone and ask you what the emergency is. The operator will then dispatch the appropriate service (police, fire, or ambulance) if necessary. You'll be asked to describe the problem and your location. You can call 911 for yourself or for another person. You might need to call the police department or the hospital for non-emergency services. If you're not calling for an emergency, don't dial 911—it's important that phone lines are open to assist people who are having emergencies. The police department and hospitals have non-emergency, local phone numbers.

How to get a prescription

If your doctor prescribes a prescription medication for you, you can choose where to have it filled. The most convenient pharmacy for students is Hyvee on Main Street. The Hyvee on Main Street can deliver prescription medicine to students at Post Hall. There's a $3 delivery charge, and the pharmacy will need to know how you want to pay for your prescription (credit or debit card, cash, or check) ahead of time. If you want to have your prescription delivered, ask for your prescription to be filled at Hyvee on Main Street. Call Hyvee's pharmacy at (309) 342-1619 to provide your insurance information and coordinate the delivery of your prescription.

Other pharmacies in Galesburg include:
• Walgreens, 1057 E Main St. Phone: (309) 341-2446
• Walgreens, 844 W Fremont St. Phone: (309) 343-5141
• Walmart, 659 Knox Square Dr. Phone: (309) 344-2254
• Target, 1071 W Carl Sandburg Dr. Phone: (309) 344-3211

Minimizing your health care costs

Health care in the U.S. is expensive—but by making smart choices, you can ensure that you receive excellent health
care and minimize what you pay for it.

1. Start with Health and Counseling Center. If you have a cold, fever, or other minor illness, go to the on-campus Health and Counseling Center first.
2. When the Health and Counseling Center is closed: If you need medical care when the Health Center is closed, first decide whether your condition is an emergency (life-threatening or serious accident or illness). If your condition is very minor, you may decide to go to Health and Counseling Services when it reopens. If you need more immediate medical attention, there are urgent care facilities and hospitals in Galesburg.
3. In-network providers. It's always cheaper to go to an in-network provider. Find out which local hospital is in your insurance provider's in-network, so that if you need to go to the hospital in an emergency, you know which one to go to. Use your insurance company's website to find in-network providers.
4. Generic vs. name-brand prescriptions. Name-brand prescriptions are more expensive than generic prescriptions. Generic prescriptions may be made by a number of different companies, which allows them to be sold at cheaper prices than name-brand prescriptions. Ask your doctor whether he or she recommends a name-brand or generic prescription for your condition.
5. Wellness. Wellness plays a big role in keeping you healthy, and staying healthy can reduce your medical costs. Make sure you're sleeping properly, eating well and regularly, exercising, and finding ways to reduce stress.