Routine care is regular health care.
It includes preventive care, also called wellness or well care. It helps you stay healthy and helps keep you from getting sick. Preventive care includes regular checkups, health education and counseling.
L.A. Care recommends that children, especially, get regular routine and preventive care.
L.A. Care members can get all recommended early preventive services recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. These screenings include hearing and vision screening, which can help ensure healthy development and learning. For a list of pediatrician recommended services, read the “Bright Futures” guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Routine care also includes care when you are sick. L.A. Care covers routine care from your PCP.
Your PCP will:
- Give you most of your routine care, including regular checkups, immunizations (shots), treatment, prescriptions and medical advice
- Keep your health records
- Refer (send) you to specialists if needed
- Order X-rays, mammograms or lab work if you need them
When you need routine care, you should call your PCP for an appointment. Be sure to call your PCP before you get medical care unless it is an emergency.
If you cannot access your PCP, you can also obtain care for non-emergent conditions through:
- The Nurse Advice Line
- Urgent Care
- Virtual Care such as Telehealth
- Retail Clinics
For an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
To learn more about the health care and services L.A. Care covers, and what it does not cover, refer to the What Your Health Plan Covers and Child and Youth Well Care portions of this handbook.
All L.A. Care providers can use aids and services to communicate with people with disabilities. They can also communicate with you in another language or format. Tell your provider or L.A. Care what you need.