3 Ways Urgent Care Can Save You Money

When you or your family members need immediate medical care, it can be tempting to make a trip to the emergency room. Unless your situation is life-threatening, you may want to consider visiting an urgent care center instead. Urgent care can be a cost-effective way to get the fast medical attention that you need.

Here are three ways that urgent care can save you money without compromising your medical needs.

1. A trip to an urgent care center can save you time.

In today's fast-paced world, time is money. If you don't have a lot of time to spend waiting to be seen by a doctor, then you want to avoid the emergency room whenever possible. Surveys show that the average wait time for a patient in the ER is four hours and seven minutes.

The staff at an urgent care center can typically get you in to see a medical professional in much less time. If you don't want to miss out on valuable sleep or work time, then visiting an urgent care center can help you save money by preventing missed time from work.

2. Urgent care visits cost less.

When you need to be treated for an illness that is not life-threatening, making the choice to visit an urgent care center means that you will be spending less money out-of-pocket.

Experts estimate that an emergency room visit will cost you anywhere from $1,233 to $2,168. Visiting an urgent care center for the same treatment will likely only cost you between $50 and $150. Urgent care centers also accept most major forms of insurance, which can help you further reduce your out-of-pocket costs.

3. Urgent care centers offer payment plans.

If you don't have access to health insurance, then getting the care you need can be costly. Emergency rooms require payment in-full at the time of treatment. If you are unable to pay your bill, then you may be subject to interest charges and even collections.

Urgent care centers have more flexibility when it comes to payment options, and they can typically work out a payment plan that will allow you to pay for your visit over a specified period of time. These payment plans can save you from paying interest and third-party collection fees.

When you understand the specific ways that an urgent care center can save you money, it becomes easy to see why you should opt to visit an urgent care center for your non-life-threatening medical needs in the future. For more information, contact local professionals like West Ocean City Injury & Illness Center.


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