3 Benefits Of Urgent Care Facilities Over Physician Offices

When a life-threatening injury or condition arises, you usually rush to the emergency room for treatment. But if the injury or ailment is not life-threatening, you can visit a physician or an urgent care center.

But the benefits you get from an urgent care center outweigh those of a physician's office. Here are three reasons to visit an urgent care center for minor health issues instead of a physician's office. 

1. Faster Reception

When you visit a physician's office, you must book an appointment before seeing the physician. But, a physician may have several appointments lined up on that particular day, forcing you to book an appointment for a later date. 

Hence, there is a slim chance that a physician will see you on the same day you visit their office. Thus, you may have to wait for an extra day or a couple of days before your appointment is due. 

Urgent care facilities make it easier for patients to book appointments and get medical care on the same day. Besides, you might be able to book an appointment for urgent care facility online and see a medical practitioner on the same day.

Hence, it is best to visit an urgent care center because the chances of seeing a doctor on the same day are higher than at a physician's office. 

2. Better Operational Hours

Most physician offices operate for regular work hours (9-5). Thus, if you need medical attention past 5:00 pm, a physician's office will probably not be open to cater to you. As a result, you might have to wait until morning for the physician to open. 

Urgent care centers operate for longer hours than most physician offices. Usually, urgent care centers serve patients up to late in the evening. However, some urgent care centers operate twenty-four hours a day. 

So if you need medical attention late in the evening or at night, you are better off going to an urgent care center. 

3. Less Expensive 

The cost of treatment is one of the main factors to consider when deciding whether to visit an urgent care center or a physician's office. Furthermore, you will have to cover the treatment costs out of pocket if you don't have health insurance. 

You should note that urgent care facilities have more subsidized rates than physician offices. For instance, physicians charge between $300 and $600 for treatments if you don't have insurance. But, if you visit an urgent care center without insurance, you can expect to pay between $80 and $440 for treatment. 

So, urgent care facilities are a better option because they enable you to save money on treatment costs if you don't have insurance.