the Cost of Urgent Care Clinics

I took my grown daughter in with a very sore throat, laryngitis and fever one evening after regular doctor's office hours. They took her vitals and did a rapid strep test of her throat and was given an antibiotic injection and two prescriptions for oral medications. This is a free standing urgent care clinic part of a multispeciality clinic chain associated with a hospital here and is open 24 hours.

It took about two and a half hours to be seen and then another hour or so in the back in the exam room. Her vitals were taken very shortly after arrival however which is good triage. The care was reasonably thorough and seemed appropriate to how ill she was. It seemed like a long wait because she was in a lot of pain and could barely swallow at all. However, the emergency rooms were overwhelmed with flu and it would likely have taken even longer there. It cost more than a regular doctor's visit but the price is also lower than an ER visit. In addition, parking is free at the urgent care clinic and would have been $5 to $8 in the hospital garages.

Urgent care is appropriate for minor illnesses and injuries like a simple fracture or needing stitches or an infection that gets bad after office hours. They almost always cost less than an emergency room and you are less likely to get "bumped" by major trauma cases than in an ER. If you have a clinic associated with your regular doctor's practice, continuity of care is also better. I recommend trying urgent care first. If you need ER care, they can determine this and transfer you if needed. These clinics save time and money and most give good care.