How Much Does a Visit to Urgent Care Cost

Without question the cost of medical care in this country has skyrocketed over the last few decades. Walk into an emergency room with an earache or the need for a few stitches and you're apt to walk out with a bill that is nothing short of shocking. Luckily, urgent care centers are a much more affordable alternative to ER visits for non-life-threatening illnesses. Typically speaking, a trip to an urgent care center will cost one-fourth the price of the same trip to an emergency room.

Things that will determine the cost of care provided at an urgent care clinic are:

• The nature and severity of the illness
• Type of treatment required
• Location (city VS rural)
• Whether or not you have health insurance

How Much Does Urgent Care Cost if You Don't Have Health Insurance?

Keep in mind that urgent care costs can vary by location. While one clinic might charge you $75 for an X-ray, another clinic might charge you $175. Having said this, the average cost of an urgent care visit without insurance ranges between $70 and $125. These charges are the base price before any other services have been added.

Below you'll find some additional urgent care services that will increase your bill:

MEDICATIONS & INJECTIONS

You can be expected to be charged for injections, medications, and IVs. The staff of urgent care clinics are generally willing to work with patients who don't have insurance. Often they will switch out expensive name-brand medicines for generic brands instead. In some instances, as in the case of requiring an immunization, the office fee might be waived as immunizations don't require a doctor. Keep in mind the cost of the actual vaccination will still apply.

TESTS & X-RAYS

Many visits to an urgent care clinic require blood tests and X-rays and these treatment costs are in addition to the base price. While it may be harder for staff to discount these costs, understand that tests and X-rays completed at urgent care centers are significantly cheaper than those performed in an ER.

BREAKS & SPRAINS

One of the most common visits to an urgent care clinic is because of sprains and broken bones, and casts and braces cost extra. While you may think the opposite, bracing is actually more expensive because patients get to keep the brace whereas casting only uses gauze.

How much does urgent care cost with insurance?

For those who have health insurance, a visit to an urgent care center will cost even less.

It should be noted that you are expected to pay your co-payment immediately upon checking in. You are also required to have an insurance card with you and know your co-payment ahead of time.

Typically speaking, co-payments for urgent care range between $35 and $100 per visit. You will have to check to make sure your insurance is accepted at your local urgent care center.

Urgent cares clinics accept many different types of insurance plans.

Let's take a look at some of the most common urgent care charges with insurance and compare them with prices you would expect to pay at an emergency room.

Allergies

The average cost for an allergy-related visit to an urgent care clinic is $97. Compare that to the $345 you'll pay on average in an emergency room.

Bronchitis (Acute)

The average price for treatment of bronchitis at an urgent care center is $127 compared with the ER average of $595.

Earaches

How many times have you or your children suffered from an earache? This common ailment with cost you about $110 at your local urgent care center. Walk into an emergency room with an earache and you'll walk out with a bill for around $400.

Sore Throat

Another common ailment most people experience each year, being treated for a sore throat will run about $95 at an urgent care center. The same treatment at an ER will costs upwards of $525. Now that's a real pain in the neck!

Pink Eye

You'll be seeing red should you go to an ER with pink eye and be charged $370. The same treatment at an urgent care clinic will be one-third the price.

Sinusitis

Many people who suffer from yearly allergies also develop sinusitis, or inflammation of the sinuses. Treatment at an urgent care clinic – $112… treatment at an ER – $617.

Strep Throat

"Streptococcal pharyngitis," more commonly known as strep throat, usually appears suddenly with severe sore throat pain and is highly contagious. Immediate treatment is required and will cost $111 at an urgent care clinic and $531 at an ER.

Upper Respiratory Infections

Upper respiratory infections can quickly lead to pneumonia in the very young and very old. Your local urgent care center will charge $111, whereas your local ER will charge $486. Be aware that should you walk into an urgent care clinic with difficulty breathing, they may send you to an ER depending on the cause.

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

It is recommended that you seek medical attention as soon as you experience urinary tract infection symptoms. Treatment at urgent care will cost roughly $110, as opposed to $665 for a visit to the ER.

UrgentWay – Providing Affordable Care to the Community

UrgentWay is committed to providing quality and affordable care to our neighbors. We understand that immediate access is important. Not only are we open 7 days a week, but we also offer extended hours each day so you can get help very early or very late in the day.

With locations in Hempstead, Manhattan, Hicksville, and the Bronx, getting the medical attention you require is more convenient than ever. We are open at the locations of urgent care centers for walk-in visits and have made sure to take all the safety protocols per CDC's guideline against COVID-19.

Moreover, considering the current pandemic of COVID-19, Urgentway has also started providing the facilities of Telemedicine and COVID-19 Screening.

While we accept most insurance plans, including worker's compensation, private insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare. We also welcome those without insurance and do our best to offer the most affordable rates and payment options.

UrgentWay truly believes that all members of our community deserve quality healthcare at a price they can comfortably afford.

How Much Does a Visit to Urgent Care Cost

Source: https://www.urgentway.com/resources/cost-of-urgent-care/

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