Maybe you have heard about these newfangled please called urgent care clinics. Hesitation is normal. Why would you need to go there? Would your insurance even cover it? What kind of people would be there if you went? Urgent Care facilities were made as a hybrid between emergency rooms and your primary care physician. Like emergency rooms, urgent care centers treat injuries that are spontaneous. However, unlike the emergency room, urgent care centers are meant for people who aren’t suffering from life threatening issues. Urgent care centers are similar to your primary care physician in this sense. You can check up about items like flu, sprains, and small infections.
There are more than 7,000 urgent care clinics in the United States. Each year, around 160 million people use an urgent care enter. It’s estimated that 1/4 of all items the emergency room deals with should actually be routed to urgent care. For example, upper respiratory infections are urgent care territory. But don’t worry – urgent care locations are set up to be as convenient as emergency rooms. In order to be classified as such, they must be open 7 days per week.
Now that you know when to go to urgent care, let’s talk about why. The cost of an emergency room visit usually costs around $1500 while urgent care usually costs less than $150. You can get antibiotics, pain meds, and crutches, all without waiting in line to see your primary care physician. So what is your primary still good for? If you manage any chronic conditions like arthritis, your regular doctor is best qualified to help you. Your regular doctor is also best qualified to direct you to a specialist for specific concerns.
After learning all this about urgent care, you should feel less confused about the big mega medical center on your corner. Maybe it could come in handy?
