For several decades in the United states, 24 hr urgent care centers have been working to take some of the brunt of the work away from emergency rooms. They do this by helping those with less serious injuries who can either not afford to go to their regular doctor for treatment, or are unable to visit their regular family health doctor because the office is closed. Here are a few more interesting facts that you should know about urgent care centers before you decide to find a doctor.
1. Urgent care centers represent one of the fastest growing segments within the American healthcare system. This is probably because of the fact that they offer affordable services like immediate care and std testing instead of going to an emergency room and being charged quite a lot of money
2. Urgent care centers are gaining in popularity because of the fact that they operate on a walk in basis, they generally have shorter wait times than emergency rooms, and they have more convenient hours than physicians offices. Sometimes, they are even covered by the bigger insurance companies.
3. Almost two thirds of urgent centers employ a mix of physicians, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants. About 65 percent of urgent care centers have at least one physician on site at all times.
4. An estimated three million patients visit an urgent care center when they can not find a doctor due to either a poor financial situation or lack of accessibility to their normal doctor. each week in the U.S.
5. Did you know that the typical emergency department visit costs an astounding average of 1,500 dollars? If you are able to visit an urgent care center rather than an emergency room, then you would be able to make a visit for as little as 150 dollars.
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