Emergency Room Main Article
University of South Carolina requires all international students to have health insurance. If you are enrolled in another school or have your own insurance please check specific rules from your insurance plan. Each insurance company in the USA operates individually and has their specific requirements. You can call the insurance company or check the document that was provided to you on enrollment. Some of the information found on this site is specifically for the University of South Carolina, but most schools are similar. It is very important that you follow the rules outlined by the University or school you attend.
For those with USC health insurance:
The student health center is the main way to access healthcare.
Hours of service: 8:30 AM to 5PM Mon. - Fri.
Sunday: 4PM to 9PM for emergencies
Requirements of the USC-sponsored health plan:
- Must seek initial care at Student Health Services-Covered services reimburse there at 100%
- The Student Health Services will refer you to community providers in the sponsored plan this is known as a PPO (Preferred Provider Organization)
- Services by the PPO are reimbursed at 80% after payment of co-payments and deductibles
In the United States we have different access points for our healthcare.
- University-sponsored health plan requires seeking initial care at the Student Health Services
If you do not have this plan it is important to know the requirements of your plan.
Below is information for those internationals that do not have health insurance or that have health insurance that lets them chose how to access the healthcare system.
Other Ways to Access Healthcare:
- ·Primary Care Doctor- Look for a Family Practice, International Medicine Physician, or a Family Nurse Practitioner –It is good to have a doctor or Nurse Practitioner that knows you and you know them.
- ·Urgent Care Centers- When you or your family needs medical treatment for a less severe condition your family doctor is the first choice. At times it is not possible to get an appointment quickly, the doctor is too busy, or the doctor’s office is shut. The urgent care centers are walk-in clinics that are designed to bridge the gap between the emergency room and your doctor’s office. Some use the urgent care center instead of having a primary doctor or as their primary doctor. The cost of an urgent care center is much cheaper than the Emergency Room. lways. An example of a name of such a clinic in Columbia is Doctor’s Care. Doctor’s care happens to provide family care, urgent care, physicals, and diagnostics.
- ·Urgent Care Centers Provide: Family Care, Physicals, Diagnostic Care, Urgent Care
- ·When to use Urgent Care: Infections, Coughs, Colds, Flu, Wounds, Cuts that need stitches, Asthma, Ear Infections, Animal Bites, Etc. Etc. They are open for extended hours 7 days a week Most close around 10 or 11PM
- ·Some common names of these centers are names like Doctor’s Care, Lexington Urgent Care, Presbyterian Urgent Care, or Carolina Urgent Care. Find the one closest to your college.
WHEN TO GO TO EMERGENCY ROOMS- In many countries people who are sick go straight to the emergency room for medical care. In the United States the emergency is a place for the severely ill and will cost a lot of money. If your life may be at risk, or you have a severe pain, you may have no choice, but to use an emergency room, however, when the situation is not as severe, you have choices that can save you money and be more convenient.
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Good Reasons to Go to an Emergency Room
(Not an exhausted list use your own judgment)
This just gives you an idea.
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Bad Reasons to Go to an Emergency Room
(Not an exhausted list use your own judgment)
This just gives you an idea.
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·Loss of Consciousness
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·Headache
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·Uncontrolled Bleeding (You can not stop it
after applying pressure for 10 minutes.
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·Minor Cuts where bleeding is controlled.
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·Signs of heart attack: Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. Shortness of breath along with or before chest discomfort. May have other things such as cold sweat, nausea with other symptoms.
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·Earaches
·Sinus Infection
·Allergies
·Acid Stomach
·Dizzy lasting for a few hours or a day
·Nausea
·A sprain.
·A sunburn or minor burn from cooking.
·Fever (if there is a convulsion, go to the ER).
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·Signs of a stroke, including: sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg on one side of the body; sudden dimness or loss of vision, particularly in one eye; loss of speech, or trouble talking or understanding speech; sudden, severe headaches with no known cause; unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness or sudden falls, especially when accompanied by any other stroke symptoms.
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·A broken bone (call your doctor/seek urgent care or if you can not be seen the same day -- or if bone is showing, limb is deformed--go to the ER).
·To find out if you are pregnant (Bleeding or complications of pregnancy might require ER visit after calling MD)
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·Coughing up or vomiting blood.
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·Coughing with a cold
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·Severe shortness of breath
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·A skin rash.
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·Sudden, severe pain.
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·Pain that is temporary or as a result of something understandable like banging your foot.
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·Poisoning (Note: If possible, call poison control center first 1-800-222-1222 and ask for immediate home treatment advice-certain poisons should be vomited as soon as possible while others should be diluted with water as soon as possible. Such preliminary home treatment could save your life.)
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·A minor dog or animal bite where bleeding is controlled (but see your doctor--a rabies shot may be necessary).
·Cut requiring a couple of stitches can be repaired at an urgent care center. Severe cuts with many stitches may require ER
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·A severe or worsening reaction to an insect bite or sting, or to a medication, especially if breathing is difficult.
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·An insect sting or delayed swelling from a sting (if there is breathing difficulty, go to the ER)
·Infections (Bladder, Sinus, Skin unless severe)
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·A major injury, such as a head trauma.
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·Colds and cough, sore throat, flu
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·Unexplained stupor, drowsiness or disorientation
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·Hangover from drinking too much alcohol
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·Severe or persistent vomiting
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·Sexually-transmitted diseases.
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·Suicidal or homicidal feelings.
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·Stress, Pressure, Depression
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Examples of some International Students’ Experiences with using the Emergency Room.
- Student 1- A South American Female Student’s Experience
- Student 2 - A Middle Eastern Male Student’s Experience
