What can a family do when a child gets sick or injured and their primary care doctor is not available? What if they do not have a regular physician? Going to the local hospital emergency room can prove to be very expensive, and the wait can be long and uncomfortable. There is an alternative treatment option called urgent care centers. These are clinics that are open more hours than doctor’s offices and do not require appointments. They are designed to provide the emergency treatment people may need without including a huge expense.
What is an Urgent Care Facility?
An urgent care center is a clinic that is designed to be somewhere between a doctor’s office and a hospital’s emergency room. These clinics are prepared to treat many emergency health issues and provide preventative medicine, physicals, and other routine medical services. They are open longer hours and do not require advance appointments for emergencies. So, you go to Our Urgent Care center when a family member gets unexpectedly ill or suffers an injury when the doctor’s office is closed, there are no appointments open, or you don’t have a doctor.
These urgent care centers are equipped to handle many injuries and health problems. They have doctors and nurses on staff at all times. If a health emergency requires a hospital the urgent care center will refer the patient there. From 8 am to 8 pm, they offer medical services at a reasonable cost and have shorter waiting times. The clinics can set broken bones, stitch cuts, and provide diagnostic tests and X-rays.
These medical clinics accept most insurance plans and will arrange patient payment plans. They are everything short of a hospital. They offer emergency services to walk-in patients, and they make appointments for regular healthcare and follow up visits.
Where You Can Get Urgent Medical Care
When a person is suddenly ill or injured, it is essential to get medical help quickly. But, where is the best place to seek help? UnitedHealthcare lists options and their approximate costs. These options are in addition to doctor’s offices.
- You can call a 24/7 nurse line at no cost and receive help deciding where to go and how to treat the medical problem.
- There are virtual doctor visits available at a cost of about $50.00 for things like colds, flu, fevers, and other common health problems.
- A convenience care clinic for minor health problems, shots, and minor injuries at about $90.00.
- An urgent care center for more serious health issues at about $170.00.
- The emergency room of a local hospital for approximately $2,000. This option should be reserved for more serious needs such as chest pain, major burns, and severe injuries.
If there is time, a call to a nurse line might be a good first step because the nurse can advise the patient on the best option for care. If the emergency happens during a weekday, call the regular physician to see if there is an appointment open. This physician will be familiar with the patient and have their medical records.
When Should You choose Urgent Care Health clinics?
Today, there are choices for medical help. Depending on the medical situation, you have options, such as a mini-clinic at a drug store or retail location and an urgent care facility. Choose an urgent care center for problems that are more serious, but not serious enough for a hospital visit. Urgent care centers have shorter wait times and cost much less than a hospital emergency room visit.
