Why You Should Choose Urgent Care Over the Emergency Room

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A trip to the emergency room is one of the last things many people want to think about. AAnd it is not just the trauma of the injury that makes it a terrible experience. Sometimes the worst part comes after you leave when you receive the exorbitant bill for the services rendered. Luckily, there are an increasing amount of centers around the country that are offering a relatively affordable alternative. Urgent cares centers provide top notch medical treatment for nearly a tenth of the price of a trip to the emergency room. But what are urgent cares centers and what types of treatment do they provide?

Urgent cares centers are best utilized for injuries or illnesses that require immediate care, but are not serious enough to warrant a visit to the emergency room. Types of injuries and illnesses that are commonly treated at urgent cares facilities include sprains, fractures, upper respiratory infections, or gastrointestinal issues. Almost all (97 percent) of urgent cares centers in the country also offer pre packaged prescription services. Though, this service is heavily limited or illegal in some states such as Texas and New York. Urgent cares centers are mandated by the Urgent Care Association of America (UCAA) to also have on site diagnostic services such as Phlebotomy and X Rays available.

In addition to providing several services and treatments, some urgent cares centers go further to compete with local emergency departments by offering after hours urgent care, or even 24 hr urgent care. Wait times at an urgent cares facility is also drastically reduced when compared to the emergency department. The average urgent cares visitor waits about thirty minutes compared to hours at the emergency department. With a combination of all hours care, cheaper treatment, and shorter wait times, there is little reason to head to an emergency department anymore.

And the urgent cares business is only getting larger. In the United States alone, the number of urgent cares centers is increasing by approximately 300 every year. This has lead to urgent cares centers in the United States employing about 129,043 people. Given the immense value that an urgent care facility can offer the public, this growth is nothing but a good thing.

So if you find yourself with a non life threatening injury, think twice before you head to the emergency room. Your local urgent cares center should be able to treat you in less time and for less money and at whatever hour you injure yourself. Visit here for more.

18 thoughts on “Why You Should Choose Urgent Care Over the Emergency Room

  1. If you stay healthy and stay out of trouble you will never have to worry about visiting any of these places. I know I never have.

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