- What is an Urgent Care Center?
- Can I go to an Urgent Care Center instead of my primary care physician?
- Can I go to an Urgent Care Center instead of the emergency room?
- When is it appropriate to go to an Urgent Care Center?
- Will my insurance be accepted at an Urgent Care Center?
What is an Urgent Care Center?
Urgent care centers are medical facilities designed to provide acute, episodic care for non life-threatening illnesses or injuries. Urgent Care Centers are able to manage medical conditions that cannot await a Doctors’ office appointment but do not require hospital care. Some advantages of most Urgent Care Centers include: rapid access, no appointment necessary, lower co-payments than Emergency Rooms for most insurance providers, shorter visits and extended hours of operation.
Can I go to an Urgent Care Center instead of my primary care physician?
Urgent Care Centers are a great alternative for you if you feel you need immediate medical care and your primary care physician is not available or equipped to care for you at that time. However, Urgent Care Centers are not meant to take the place of your primary care physician for the management of chronic illnesses. Therefore, following your visit to RiteCare Medical Center, we would be happy to forward your records to your primary care physician upon your request.
Can I go to an Urgent Care Center instead of the emergency room?
Emergency rooms are designed to treat life threatening illnesses and injuries and are therefore available 24 hours a day. Urgent Care Centers are a great alternative for you if you need immediate medical care for a non-life threatening illness or injury that does not require hospitalization. Some common illnesses and injuries managed in an Urgent Care Center include: allergies, cold and flu, strains and sprains, minor trauma, sinusitis, fractures, and headaches.
When is it appropriate to go to an Urgent Care Center?
Consider an Urgent Care Center if you have a non-life threatening injury or illness that you deem urgent but does not require hospital care. Urgent Care Centers offer quality medical care that is both timely and cost-effective. Patients could expect to be evaluated and treated in one hour at most Urgent Care Centers and the co-payments are less than for the Emergency Room for most insurance carriers.
Will my insurance be accepted at an Urgent Care Center?
Most Urgent Care Centers contract with insurance companies. Generally, the co-payment for an Urgent Care Center will be greater than for a visit to your primary care physician but less than that of an emergency room.
