6 Reasons to Visit Urgent Care vs. Emergency Room

The ER (emergency room) is the only place to go for healthcare if your illness or injury could be life threatening. If you’re unsure whether your ailment could be life threatening, then you must still go to the ER. Only the ER is properly equipped to help patients with serious conditions. However, the ER is unnecessary if your condition is not life threatening, and it can be inconvenient.

The 1st reason to choose urgent care over the ER: The ER isn’t necessary if your condition isn’t life-threatening.

You can go to urgent care clinics to have any minor illnesses or injuries treated. This means that for non-life-threatening ailments only, you can receive treatment at an urgent care clinic. Some of the conditions we treat here at Express healthcare include flu symptoms, minor allergic reactions, cough, colds, flu, minor sunburns, minor cuts, minor fractures, marine stings, bug bites, STDs, and others.

The 2nd reason to choose urgent care over the ER is: You can receive treatment for most common illnesses and injuries at an urgent care center, easily.

If you go to the ER to get a non-life-threatening ailment treated, then you will likely experience wait times. This is because the ER prioritizes patients with life-threatening ailments over patients with minor ailments. With urgent care clinics like Express Healthcare, there are virtually no wait times for patients with minor ailments!

So, the 3rd reason to choose urgent care over the ER: At urgent care clinics, there are almost no wait times for patients with minor injuries.

If you go to the ER to treat a minor illness or injury, your visit could cost you hundreds of dollars. This cost is mitigated a bit by insurance coverage, but it’s still expensive, and there’s just no reason for it. With urgent care, you can expect to pay an average of $125 for a visit, before insurance coverage.

Our 4th reason to choose urgent care over the ER: The ER is expensive, but urgent care isn’t.

Emergency room service is more expensive than urgent care. If you need further treatment beyond what is provided during your visit, then there could be additional costs. Your insurance will likely help to cover a trip to either the ER or an urgent care clinic, but the ER will still be more expensive.

If you don’t have insurance, then going to the ER can be even more expensive. Often, urgent care clinics offer affordable self-pay options and non-brand prescription medications, which help to mitigate the costs.

Remember that the ER is necessary if you have a life-threatening ailment, but if you don’t, you’ll save money by going to urgent care instead.

The 5th reason to choose urgent care over the ER: Urgent care for minor ailments is more affordable for single and long-term visits, and it offers assistance for those without insurance.

You absolutely can, yes. These professionals are board certified and fully qualified to take care of you and your family members. They are able to treat most minor ailments and diagnose many others. The treatments they administer are fully approved, medically sound treatments. Additionally, urgent care providers can create a network between themselves, your primary doctor, and any specialists, if you need to see one.

The 6th and final reason: Urgent care is all about quality, comprehensive care and networking.

Remember, this depends on whether your condition is life-threatening. If so, or if you’re unsure, you must go to the ER. If you’re sure your condition is not life threatening, then you can go to an urgent care clinic like ours here at Express Healthcare. It’s certainly more convenient and affordable, and there are no wait times. You can simply walk in for service and same-day treatment.

And there you have it: 6 reasons to visit urgent care vs. emergency room! If you’d like to learn more about urgent care services, or if you’d like to come in for service and treatment, then we’d love to see you here at Express Healthcare! . We look forward to teaching you more about why urgent care is so great! For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 4701 Melbourne Place College Park, MD 20740. We serve patients from College Park MD, New Carrollton MD, Berwyn Heights MD, White Oak MD, Mitchellville MD, Seabrook MD, Laurel MD, Springdale MD, and surrounding areas.