According to Healthline:
- About 13.7 percent to 27.1 percent of all emergency room visits could have been treated at an urgent care center, which would result in savings of $4.4 billion each year.
- The average wait time to see a health care professional at urgent care is often less than 30 minutes. And you can sometimes even make an appointment online so you can wait in the comfort of your home versus a waiting room.
- Most urgent care centers are open seven days a week, including evenings and nights.
- The average urgent care cost can be less than emergency room care for the same issue.
- If you have children, you know they don't always get sick at the most convenient times. If your regular doctor's office is closed, urgent care may be the next best choice.
The reality is that illness does not always choose its best time to show itself. Knowing where to go is often an important question. Legacy Health offers a useful chart (Spanish) to help sort symptoms and determine the best place to visit.
It is important to know that you will typically pay less for a visit to urgent care, which is treated often like a visit to your doctor's office. Emergency room visits may take longer and cost substantially more money. It's best to look at your plan's Summary of Benefits and Coverage document well in advance of a medical emergency, illness, or injury to know what your might pay for a visit to each.
When in doubt, contact your plan's nurse line or 911 for signs of serious injury or illness.
This blog should not be taken as medical advice. Medical advice should come directly from a medical professional.