​How to Get Care

​Montgomery Cares clinics are located throughout Montgomery County (Go to map). The clinic you are at when you first join Montgomery Cares becomes your Primary Care Provider or Medical Home. This means it is the main location where you get health care and the place you should go first for most health care needs. You can find your clinic’s contact information on your Montgomery Cares member ID card or using the “Find Clinic” tool on this website.

When to Visit Your Clinic

You should visit your clinic for a checkup at least once a year, and at the end of each enrollment year to renew your Montgomery Cares enrollment. Other reasons to go to your clinic include:

• If you are sick or injured
• To pick up or refill a prescription
  
• If you are being treated for a medical problem

How to Make an Appointment

To make an appointment for a checkup:

• Call your clinic to find an available time that fits your schedule.
  
• Plan ahead as there may be a wait time for checkups and disease management appointments.

If you are sick or injured:

• Call the clinic and describe your symptoms (what is wrong) to the person who answers the phone
• Ask for an appointment as soon as possible
• If there are no available appointments, ask to be referred to somewhere you can get care sooner
• Let the person on the phone know about your preferred language and if you need an interpreter during your visit
  

If you need to cancel or change the appointment, call the clinic at least 48 hours before your appointment.
Remember, your health care provider is there to help you. Click here for few tips to help you get ready for your appointment.

When to go to the Emergency Room

Go to the hospital Emergency Room (ER) only if you have a true emergency. If you do not have time to make a call, then it is a true emergency and you should go the ER or call 9-1-1.
Otherwise, call your clinic to ask where you should go for care. Montgomery Cares does not pay for ER visits, hospitalization, or urgent care; however, hospitals are usually willing to work with you to develop a payment plan to help you pay for your hospital visit.

Changing Clinics

If you move to a different part of Montgomery County, or learn of a clinic whose hours, location, language options, or other services are a better fit for you, you can change clinics. First, call the clinic you want to change to and ask if they participate in Montgomery Cares and are accepting new patients. If the answer to both questions is “yes,” then schedule a new patient appointment at this clinic. When you go to the appointment, take your Montgomery Cares ID card and let the clinic know that you want them to become your main clinic or Medical Home. There is no penalty for changing clinics.