Urgent Care vs. Emergency Rooms Healthcare consumers must educate themselves to recognize the differences between an urgent care facility, emergency rooms and freestanding emergency rooms. Understanding their differences could save you as a consumer thousands of dollars.
Whenever you feel bad or have a child who is under the weather all you want is for yourself or them to feel better. You should take into consideration the severity of the situation, the ER wait time and the hefty bill you will receive. Actually, visiting an urgent care may be a better choice as wait times may be shorter and more affordable. A majority of Urgent Care Clinics accept insurance and are
open all week long, including nights, weekends and holidays. Additionally, instead of having to wait in a waiting room to be seen, some Urgent Care Clinics allow you to call in advance and wait in the comfort of your home until a room becomes available.
Urgent care centers are equipped to handle non-life threatening situations, and many have attending doctors and nurses who have access to x-rays and labs onsite. Most urgent care centers are open late and on weekends and holidays.
Choosing an urgent care center over the ER can save you time and money: •Average time of an ER visit: 4 hours •Average cost of an ER visit: $1,757 •Average cost of an urgent care center visit: $162
Visit an urgent care center for these common conditions: •Flu and cold / High fevers
•Coughs and sore throat
•Cuts and severe scrapes
•Broken bones
•Vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain
•High fevers
Emergency Rooms
Emergency rooms are meant for true medical emergencies and can handle trauma, x-rays, surgical procedures and other life threatening situations.
Most hospitals have an emergency room that’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have a true emergency, go to your nearest emergency room or call 911.
Visit an emergency room if you experience:
•Allergic reactions
•Broken bones
•Chest pain
•Constant vomiting
•Continuous bleeding
•Severe shortness of breath
•Deep wounds
•Weakness or pain in a leg or arm
•Head injuries / Unconsciousness
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