Urgent care centers are perfect for those times when fast medical care is needed, but it’s not severe enough for an emergency room visit. They allow patients to get help right away, without having to wait for an appointment, but are lower cost compared to emergency rooms. Before it’s necessary to visit an urgent care center, it may be a good idea to find one that’s going to be a good fit for future needs.
Look for Ones with Insurance Coverage
One of the most important considerations when choosing an urgent care clinic is the cost. For those with insurance, it is important to make sure that the urgent care will accept the insurance. For those who are self-pay, it’s a good idea to check the basic costs ahead of time to make sure the visit will be affordable. Patients who are insured may wonder, does kaiser have urgent care? It’s a good idea to check with the insurance company to find out.
See What Services the Urgent Care Clinic Offers
Always check into the services offered by the urgent care clinic, as they can vary. In most cases, they offer basic medical care, such as X-rays, stitches, lab work, and prescriptions for illnesses or injuries. Those with kids may want to check to see if the urgent care clinic offers pediatric services as well to make sure the whole family is covered if anyone needs medical assistance.
Check the Hours of Availability
Urgent care clinics are not open 24 hours a day, so it is important to make sure that they will be open when care is needed. Most are open late, but not all. Finding out the hours makes it easier to determine which urgent care clinic to go to or, if the visit can’t wait, to decide to go to the emergency room for help. Most clinics will have their information posted on their website to make it easy to find their hours.
Find a Location That’s Nearby
Another consideration is how far away the urgent care clinic is when help is needed. With many opening up in recent years, patients shouldn’t have to go far to get medical help. Find out where the closest location is ahead of time, so it’ll be easier to find it when there is a situation where someone needs fast medical care.
Call to Find Out Wait Times
It is a good idea to call to find out the typical wait times. Before a visit, calling can help the person determine if they want to go to the urgent care clinic or if they may need faster care. In many cases, urgent care clinics have online check-in systems, which makes it easier for patients to check in while waiting at home or in their vehicle. This way, they don’t have to sit in a crowded waiting room while they wait for care.
Take the time now to make sure you know where the urgent care center is that’s going to be a good fit for your needs. That way, when you do have a medical issue and need faster help, you’ll already know where to go. Use the tips here to make sure you can find an urgent care center that will work well for you.