FAQs
Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. We never close, not even for holidays!
Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital is full-service emergency center. We can effectively diagnose and initiate treatment for all kinds of medical emergencies, from insect bites to heart attacks to industrial and car accidents.
It depends entirely on your condition, and we can provide an estimated cost of care before any sort of treatment if you come in for a complimentary basic medical screening.
No, there is no need to make an appointment for emergency medical care with Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital. We treat patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Yes, Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital treats patients of all ages for all medical conditions. We even have a “Peanuts” themed Pediatric Exam room that is designed just for your little ones.
Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital differs from an urgent care center in that most urgent care centers are designed to handle non-life-threatening medical complaints. An urgent care facility is much like a doctor’s office with extended hours. Urgent care clinics are often staffed by Physician Assistants or Nurse Practitioners who are unable to treat critical trauma patients. If a patient goes to an urgent care clinic with a life-threatening emergency, the patient will be redirected to EMS or 911. In contrast, Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital is always open and is staffed by highly-trained emergency room doctors and nurses. Our ER is also equipped like a large hospital and offers onsite imaging services like X-rays, CT scans, and ultrasound. We also offer in-house laboratory services and are equipped and staffed to treat a full range of emergencies, 24/7. TEC's imaging and lab equipment is the most modern, state-of-the-art technology. Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital provides prompt and thorough results for any test ordered.
We have no wait time. With the lower patient volume our physicians and registered nurses can see you promptly and efficiently, so that you are back in the comfort of your home.
Yes, our diagnostic laboratory is both CLIA and COLA certified. We are able to perform the majority of tests hospital ERs perform. These tests are processed by TEC onsite, so we can get the results to you quickly. Typical turnaround time for obtaining lab results at Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital is around 15 minutes.
The following documentation is required for hospital outpatient services to be rendered. 1. Documentation that supports medical necessity of the outpatient service (e.g. physician's office visit note, or progress note, etc.) 2. A signed and dated physician's order for the outpatient service.
Yes, we have X-ray, Ultrasound, CT, and Doppler technology. When you require imaging services, in addition to being evaluated in real-time by the ER doctor, we also send the images electronically to an offsite radiologist so that it can be read immediately. An added benefit is that this technology provides printed radiology reports that are typically ready in about 20 minutes, which is faster than in hospital ERs. Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital also provides patients with CDs of their images, which are ready by the time they leave our facility.
Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital accepts commercial insurance plans and honors in-network benefits for medical emergencies. At this time, we are unable to accept government-funded insurance plans such as Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, or CHIP.
We accept cash, checks, and all major credit cards including MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover.
You will be required to pay your emergency room copay at the end of your visit.
According to Texas guidelines, all insurance carriers must pay in-network benefits for any member seeking emergency medical treatment at an ER. Texas law requires the insurance carrier to pay for your emergency care, regardless of whether the emergency room is “in network” or “out of network.” The state of Texas empowers you to use the "prudent layperson standard” when considering what constitutes an emergency.
Texas state law requires patients to be reimbursed for ER visits by their insurance carriers. If your insurance company refuses to pay for your ER visit, you have the option of filing a grievance with the Texas Department of Insurance. For more information about the Texas Department of Insurance, visit http://www.tdi.state.tx.us.
According to guidelines set by the state of Texas, all freestanding ERs are required to post the notice below at their facility and website: • The facility is a freestanding emergency medical care facility; • The facility charges rates comparable to a hospital emergency room, and may charge a facility fee; • A facility or a physician providing medical care at the facility may not be a participating provider in the patient’s health benefit plan provider network; • A physician providing medical care at the facility may bill separately from the facility for the medical care provided to a patient; and.•This facility is not a participating provider in any health benefit plan provider network. However, by state law your health insurance company is required to process your ER visit at in-network benefit levels.
Because Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital is accredited by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ), you have the right to submit a complaint regarding the quality of care or safety issues to CIHQ. Information on how to contact CIHQ to file a complaint is as follows:
Online
https://cihq.org/complaint
Mail
Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality
P.O. Box 3620
McKinney, TX 75070
Attn: Chief Executive Officer
Phone
512-661-2813
Fax
805-934-8588
In-Person by Appointment:
Contact the Executive Director of CIHQ at 512-661-2813 for instructions.