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Planning Doctor Visits

The following guidelines will help you know when you can expect to be seen by a doctor. It’s important to recognize what symptoms require immediate attention, and when a non-urgent visit may be more appropriate. If you are not sure, please call your doctor to find out what type of visit is best to treat your condition:

Situation Time Frame
Emergency care Immediately upon presentation at a service delivery site
Urgent care Within 24 hours
Non-urgent sick visits Within 48-72 hours as clinically indicated
Routine, non-urgent, or preventive appointments Within 4 weeks
Specialist referrals (non-urgent) Within 4 weeks
Well child care Within 4 weeks
Initial prenatal visit Within 2 weeks for the initial visit, every 2 weeks during the second trimester, and every week thereafter
Initial PCP office visit for newborns  Within 2 weeks of hospital discharge
Non-life threatening emergency mental health or substance abuse visit Emergency appointment within 6 hours
Urgent mental health or substance abuse visit Within 48 hours
In-plan mental health or substance abuse, initial routine Within 10 business days
Follow-up visit mental health or substance abuse visit, routine Within 30 days
Follow-up visits (pursuant to an emergency or hospital discharge) Within 1 week 
Adult baseline and routine physicals Within 12 weeks from enrollment (adults > 21 years)
Non-urgent mental or substance abuse visits with a PCP Within 2 weeks 


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