The cost of a visit to the hospital or an emergency room is skyrocketing, and for some types of care, a visit can cost you thousands of dollars out of your pocket. Thankfully, there’s an affordable and effective alternative in urgent care facilities. Urgent care centers have grown in popularity over the years largely because of their ability to give you excellent medical attention that is performed in a timely manner, while still being very affordable. Here’s four reasons urgent care is the best option for your medical needs.
Urgent Care Visits get you in Quick
When it comes down to it, the less amount of time that we have to spend waiting to be seen by a doctor, the better. In many areas across the United States, especially in urban settings, the wait to see a doctor can be long because there are so many people trying to get into the emergency room or medical facility to be seen. Fortunately, it’s not called urgent care for nothing. One of the focuses that urgent care clinics have is getting the patient in to see the doctor as quickly as possible. This focus is great for you because it translates into spending less time in pain waiting to be seen by a physician, and more time getting your needs and symptoms heard. This shortened time means that your needs are met more quickly and you can get in and out much sooner.
Urgent Care is Very Affordable
Even with insurance or some sort of health coverage, the National Institute of Health reports in a recent study that the cost of a visit to the emergency room averages over $1200. Clearly, an unexpected expense that is often in excess of $1200 is something that most of us just can’t afford, but is there a good alternative? Whether you’re suffering from headaches, back pains, or a host of other problems that often bring people into the ER, you can go to the local urgent care and get excellent care while also saving a ton of money. Some reports even say that nearly a quarter of ER visits could have easily been treated by a visit to urgent care. Furthermore, urgent care clinics are well situated to accept and work with many insurance companies, and they also have affordable options to pay for care that you receive.
Urgent Care Offers a Wide Array of Services
A requirement of all urgent care centers in the United States is that they have individuals who can perform x-rays, blood work, and treat many of the common maladies and injuries that you experience. They’ll be with you through a broad spectrum of illnesses and non-life threatening injuries that you experience, giving you directed care that is specifically tailored to meet your needs. Many of these clinics have opened during the past decade, so the physicians and employees who work there are well-trained in the newest and best techniques as they help you to get healthy. Besides many of the basic emergency medicine scenarios, they also have many services that are simply focused on helping you to get quality medical care as you try to get healthy. For instance, many offer services like weight loss assistance, physicals, and flu shots and vaccinations.
The Care is Just as Quality as any other Medical Visit
The medical care that you receive at all medical facilities just isn’t the same. Urgent care centers keep their doors open later so they can help as many patients as possible. Because of their focus on helping you to feel better, you can rest assured that you’ll be treated well and that your needs will be their top priority. Many of the physicians and employees at the urgent care centers have further training or specialty in a specific branch of medicine, which results in more targeted and knowledgeable care for you.
Overall, whether you’re looking to stretch your wallet, see a doctor sooner, or find quality health care, urgent care will meet your needs just as effectively as any emergency room or alternative practice. The next time you have an urgent need, go to urgent care and skip the emergency room.
