3 Reasons to Visit an Urgent Care Center

 

Throughout your life, you’re going to have to handle medical situations. Whether they happen to you or your family, it’s important to be prepared. You’ve probably driven by countless urgent care centers in your area. If you’re wondering why so many people visit these facilities, you’ll want to continue reading. It’s understandable to wonder when you might need urgent care. Considering that, here are three reasons to visit a local urgent care facility.

Experiencing Minor Medical Problems

Sometimes, there’s no planning for medical situations. These events occur suddenly, leaving you wondering where to seek treatment. If you’re wondering when to use urgent care, it’s important to know these facilities treat most minor medical situations. Urgent care centers are able to treat such a variety of conditions, it’s easier to remember which ones they don’t cover. If you’re experiencing excessive blood loss, bone protrusion, difficulty breathing, and other severe conditions, it’s best to visit the emergency room.

Your Doctor is Away from the Office

Quite a few people regularly visit their assigned doctor. Unfortunately, medical situations often won’t wait until your doctor’s office is open. Whether your doctor is off for the weekend or on vacation, it’s important to have a backup plan. With that in mind, many people visit urgent care facilities while their doctors aren’t in the office. In fact, statistics show nearly 3 million patients visit nearby urgent care centers each week.

Avoiding the Emergency Room

It’s understandable to want to avoid spending long amounts of time in an emergency room. There’s a major reason behind the long wait times in these environments. This often occurs because people are seeking care for conditions that are better treated elsewhere. In fact, a private Milliman study found that anywhere between 44-65% of all emergency room visits could have been handled at urgent care centers.

Knowing when to use urgent care will likely help you save some money. Another burden of emergency room treatment is the bill you’ll receive. The average cost of an ambulance ride to the emergency room is often over $1,000. This isn’t even factoring the cost of treating you once you’ve arrived at the ER. In many cases, it’s going to be less expensive to receive medical treatment at an urgent care center.

In conclusion, many people wonder when to use urgent care. You’ll be glad to know that these centers are able to treat a wide variety of medical conditions. In addition, 60% of all urgent care centers have a wait time of fewer than 15 minutes to speak with a medical care provider. If you’re wanting fast treatment without visiting an emergency room, visit a local urgent care facility.