There are approximately 7,100 urgent care centers in the United States. If you haven’t yet used an urgent care clinic, you may not be aware of some of the ways you can benefit from visiting one of these clinics.
Luckily, we’ve got everything you need to know in this post. Here are just a few of the many benefits of urgent care clinics:
1. Save Time
If you’ve ever sat for hours in an emergency room, this is a huge advantage. The wait time in an urgent care clinic is usually less than 30 minutes. They’re also open beyond normal office hours in suburban, urban, and rural areas.
It can be difficult to get a last-minute doctor’s appointment, but these clinics often also have walk-in hours. Many clinics also have an online schedule so you can fit your appointment around your busy day and save as much time as possible.
2. Save Money
Compared to the emergency room, urgent care clinics are much more affordable. There are no hidden charges, bed rents, staff fees, or doctor’s fees.
You can also check with your urgent care clinic or insurance provider to see if your insurance is covered. Often, you’ll find that your co-payment will be lower for these clinics compared to the ER.
Urgent care clinics also don’t have facility fees. Instead, you can submit your claim through insurance, and receive only a single bill. When you visit the emergency room, you’ll often be charged a fee for the doctor’s service and a facility fee.
One study found that 12-27% of all visits to the emergency department could instead take place at a retail clinic or urgent care clinic. And that would save approximately $4.4 billion annually in the United States.
3. Enjoy Convenience
Many urgent care clinics are open until 7 or 8pm – even on weekends or holidays. This makes these clinics the best option when you need non-emergent medical care at odd hours. when you’re out of town, or you can’t get an appointment with your usual doctor.
For example, if you were suffering from an earache over the weekend, you could simply head to an urgent care center and be treated before you need to be back at work on Monday.
These clinics also provide a range of services– from onsite lab services to x-rays and EKGs. Many clinics can also even provide fracture care, although you can also simply visit the clinic if you’re feeling unwell.
Not only are urgent care clinics beneficial for the people using them, but they also reduce the number of people waiting at the emergency room. And that makes the medical system work better for everyone involved.
Have You Used an Urgent Care Clinic?
As you can see, there are some great benefits of choosing urgent care clinics over the emergency room. If you haven’t yet visited a clinic, it may be worth checking if you have one located close by.
We provide a full range of services at our clinic. Get in touch today to learn more.