Choosing Urgent Care Over an Emergency Room Could Save Thousands
We are a nation in need of a hot cup of tea and a box of tissues: every year, Americans suffer through about 1 billion colds and in any given year, about one in five of us is sure to get the flu. And despite regular exercise and preventative care, the average American child still gets over six colds a year.
Given that the average cost of an emergency room visit is about $1,500, many Americans are choosing to seek treatment at local urgent care clinics. Urgent care cost tends to be lower: $150 is the average cost of a visit to many urgent care locations.
There are almost 7,000 urgent care facilities across the United States: whether a person goes to Urgent Care Tempe or Urgent Care Dallas, the cost should be similar and the wait for treatment about the same. Most patients are seen in about one hour, and many patients report satisfaction with the speed of services provided.
In general, about two out of every three urgent care locations maintain a staff of doctors, well-qualified nurses, and other medical employees who are all trained to provide quality service. An urgent care or walk in clinic should also be able to treat symptoms well beyond the common cold: most set broken bones, provide STD testing clinics, and can provide prescriptions for many existing medical conditions.
About 3 million patients take the time to go to an urgent care facility every week: many walk in clinics keep more extended hours than doctor’s offices and may also be able to assist with referrals for more serious conditions that need further treatment. Urgent care may cover pediatrics and elder issues as well: services will vary by location.
To search for an urgent care location online, the patient will want to enter the words “urgent care” and the name of the town where services will be needed. For example, “Urgent Care Tempe AZ” should be a satisfactory search term to find a local urgent care facility in that town. The urgent care movement is growing, and many Americans are supportive of that growth and expansion.
