Wellcare Standards for Appointment Scheduling
Wellcare wants to ensure appointments for medical and behavioral health services are available to all our Medicare members on a timely basis. The following Appointment Availability standards can also be found in the Provider Manual. Please ensure these standards are implemented by your organization.
All Providers (from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. local time and all weekends and holidays)
- Answering service or system that can contact a physician. Member should receive a response within 30 minutes.
- Advice nurse with access to physician.
- Office telephone that transfers calls to a cell phone; or any method that ensures 24-hour phone access for members.
Should not exceed 15 minutes maximum
- Urgent Visit: 24 hours
- Non-Urgent Visit: Seven business days
- Routine Visit: Seven business days
- After-Hours Care: 24 hours; seven days per week
- Urgent Visit: 24 hours
- Routine Visit: 30 business days
- Non-Life-Threatening Emergency: Six hours
- Urgent Visit: 48 hours
- Initial Routine Care: 10 business days
- Routine Care Follow-Up: 10 business days
Resources & Tips
- Available 365 days a year.
- Call: 1-800-581-9952
- TTY: Dial 711
Non-urgent sign language and language interpreter services.
- Call Provider Services: 1-855-538-0454
- Download and Complete: Wellcare Interpreter Request Form
- Email Completed Form to: InterpreterRequests@centene.com
Urgent/emergent language interpreter services.
- Call Provider Services: 1-855-538-0454
Confidential, free, 24/7/365 support from a trained counselor for mental health, substance use or suicidal crisis.
- Call or text: 988
- Chat: 988 Lifeline Chat and Text connects you with caring crisis counselors for emotional support.
Telehealth Offerings
Virtual healthcare.
- Call: 1-800-835-2362
- Visit: Teladoc