Minor injuries and illnesses happen. Thankfully, patients may visit an urgent care for help from a trained doctor. Not only do these facilities offer a range of healthcare services, but they are also a great option for patients with or without insurance. Reading up on their many benefits can help determine if a trip to urgent care is worthwhile.
Urgent care centers provide healthcare services when a patient needs immediate, but not emergency or life-threatening, help. Moreover, they tend to provide these services on a walk-in basis. Take a closer look at what these centers have to offer below.
One of the biggest benefits of urgent care is that most do not require patients to have an appointment. Those that do often only do so to reduce time spent in the waiting room-- further, these "appointments" are typically available on a same-day or next-day basis. Most urgent care facilities allow patients to reserve these times online.
Additionally, there is no need to have established care with one of the doctors on staff. This is a stark contrast to many healthcare offices, which are known to require appointments to be made at least a few days (or even weeks) in advance and the patient to have seen the doctor before.
Many urgent care centers are open past normal working hours. That means patients can stop by urgent care after work or school for whatever healthcare service they need, such as if they need a sprained ankle looked at or help with the common cold or flu. They also tend to be open on weekends and holidays. There are even some urgent care centers that stay open 24 hours.
To save time, call ahead to confirm hours of operation. This information may also be found online. However, it is best to call the office if the patient needs help on a holiday.
Since urgent care centers serve a diverse population of patients, the doctors and staff complete training to treat a variety of health conditions. That includes minor illnesses, injuries, and more severe, nonemergency health conditions. Some of the most common examples include:
Urgent care centers also offer medical testing. If patients think they may have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or urinary tract infection (UTI), they may visit urgent care for fast results. The doctor will then be able to provide treatment, from ointments to antibiotics and more.
Please note there are some health conditions that urgent care staff cannot treat. These are primarily medical emergencies, such as shortness of breath, traumatic brain injuries, heart attack, and stroke. For these conditions, it is advised that patients visit the emergency room or call 911 immediately.
Most urgent care centers accept a wide range of insurance plans, making them highly accessible. Still, it is recommended to call the center and insurance provider ahead of time to confirm coverage. Some patients will simply need to make a copay (as determined by their insurance) at the time of the visit. In some cases, patients can make this copay at a later date. Call the patient's insurance provider for clarification on billing details.
Even if patients do not have insurance, they will likely find more affordable healthcare than they would at an emergency room (ER). Again, it is important to remember that urgent care centers do not handle medical emergencies, so they are not always an option. (For example, an urgent care doctor can treat a cut that needs stitches but visit the ER if the cut will not stop bleeding.) Going to urgent care instead of the ER when one can is likely to result in a smaller medical bill. It also allows ER doctors to focus on patients with medical emergencies.
Urgent care centers can treat many illnesses and injuries, offering advantages not available to other healthcare providers. If you are dealing with a cold, cough, muscle strain, or other minor injury or illness, consider visiting our local urgent care. Our team completes the necessary training to treat these conditions and more.
Request an appointment here: https://peoplefirsturgentcaretn.com or call People First Urgent & Primary Care Germantown at (901) 257-3077 for an appointment in our Germantown office.
Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Urgent Care in Germantown, TN.
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