On April 1, 2012, AmeriHealth will introduce a new urgent care benefit designed to provide members with a lower cost alternative to emergency rooms, when appropriate. This new benefit will allow members to receive services for urgent medical issues when they cannot access their physician?s office but do not require the advanced medical services of an emergency department.

Generally, urgent care is considered medically necessary treatment for an unexpected illness or accidental injury that is not life- or limb-threatening, where immediate services are required in order to prevent a serious deterioration in the member?s health.

In order to be recognized as an approved AmeriHealth urgent care provider, centers must meet specific criteria (including network need) and be credentialed and contracted as an urgent care center by AmeriHealth. Approved providers will be identified in the AmeriHealth provider directory as such and will be eligible to treat members without the need for a referral or authorization.

Look for future communications concerning details surrounding the new urgent care member benefit. If you have any questions about this new urgent care network, please call 1-800-275-2583.