If you’re taking a well-deserved vacation out of town this summer, we wish you safe travels! If you do need medical attention while you’re away, here are a few tips shared by UC’s medical plans about how to access care.
Remember: Your UC medical plan will cover emergency and urgent care if you or a covered family member needs it. Once your condition is stable, you or your doctor should contact your medical plan to inform them that you’ve received care and coordinate any follow-up care you may need.
UC’s PPO plans: CORE, UC Care and UC Health Savings Plan
If you need non-emergency care while traveling inside the U.S., you can access virtual visits through Accolade Care or in-person care across the U.S. through the BlueCard Program. To schedule an Accolade Care virtual visit or find a BlueCard provider, call Accolade at (866) 406-1182 or go to the Accolade digital member portal.
Outside the U.S., call the Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core (BCBSGC) Service Center, available 24/7, at +1 (804) 673-1177 to confirm coverage if you are a member of CORE or UC Care and wish to seek non-urgent or non-emergency care. When you are traveling outside the U.S., UC Health Savings Plan only covers urgent or emergency care.
If you receive emergency care, have the provider or a traveling companion contact the BCBSGC Service Center on your behalf as soon as possible.
To learn more about how to find care through your UC PPO plan, visit uchealthplans.com.
Kaiser HMO
Across the U.S., Kaiser HMO members can get 24/7 care from a Kaiser Permanente clinician by phone or online. Sign in to your kp.org account to find the right care method for you and see what is available.
You can also receive routine care at a different Kaiser Permanente facility while you’re traveling; visit Kaiser’s support center to learn what you need to do. Routine services aren’t covered outside Kaiser Permanente areas, so make sure to get them before your trip.
For urgent, non-emergency medical conditions, you can go to any urgent care facility within the U.S. See the Kaiser website for information about urgent care options where you won’t need to file for reimbursement.
If you receive emergency care outside the U.S., call 1-888-859-0880 (Northern California members) or 1-800-225-8883 (Southern California members) when your condition is stable to let Kaiser know and help you decide what to do next.
Find answers to common questions on the Kaiser website, or call the Away from Home Travel Line at 951-268-3900 (TTY 711 ) for more information.
UC Blue & Gold HMO
Whenever you receive emergency care while traveling outside your UC Blue & Gold HMO service area, be sure to notify your primary care physician (PCP) as soon as possible to let them know. You’ll need your PCP to refer you for any follow-up care.
For care that isn’t an emergency, the UC Blue & Gold HMO offers 24/7 virtual care through Teladoc. You can also seek care from a walk-in urgent care clinic (if possible, contact your PCP first) or a CVS MinuteClinic.
For reimbursement for care received outside California, including internationally, download a claim form. Be sure to get an itemized bill and any available medical records from the facility or provider to submit with your claim.
For more information, refer to Health Coverage That Goes Where You Go on Health Net’s website for UC members.