how do i get health care coverage without a card?

hi, so i qualified for special enrollment and just signed up for a plan. my coverage starts May 1st. after paying my first premium and selecting a PCP, it said that it could take 2-3 weeks before i get my member ID and card and welcome letter and all that. so if i paid my first month's premium already (for May) and I don't have my member ID yet.. how do I use my new health insurance if i need it within the next 2-3 weeks? i don't anticipate that I will but what if i need to use it?

i've seen some people say to pay out of pocket for whatever services i need and use, then file a claim with the health insurance company to get the money back. this seems like a pain..

someone said to sign up with my health insurance company's website and they will give me a temporary card to print off. i tried to do this but it wants the member ID number as part of registering on their website.

and finally someone said that i can just give my provider my health insurance plan ID and my ID/driver's license and they can find me in the system

is that pretty much the only 3 things I can do in the meantime while waiting for my card to get to me? or is there something else i can do? i should be able to use my health insurance benefits right away and not have to file a lousy claim..

submitted by /u/kh7190
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