ER vs. Urgent Care

Time & Cost Favor Urgent Care

According to www.debt.org "The cost difference alone should be enough to encourage people to go to urgent care centers. The average urgent care visits range from $50 to $150, depending on the patient’s co-pay and level of treatment, according to Dr. Franz Ritucci, President of the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine.

Dr. Ritucci said that 70% of patients at urgent care centers use health insurance and their only cost is a co-pay. Uninsured patients face additional charges for things like x-rays, shots, lab tests or casting a broken bone. As a result, the costs for their care can be much higher.

Average emergency room costs vary wildly based on treatment, but a 2013 National Institute of Health study put the median cost at $1,233. Other estimates push it to as high as $2,168.

Then there is the time factor. Patients at urgent center care are seen on a first-come, first-serve basis and average less than 30 minutes from the time they arrive until they depart.

Emergency rooms treat patients based on the severity of condition. Patients with life-threatening injuries go first. The average time from arrival to departure is 2 hours, 15 minutes."

To read the full ER vs. Urgent Care Costs article from www.debt.com, please click HERE.

Post Falls, ID Urgent Care Center