How Much Is An Urgent Care Visit Without Insurance

Urgent Care Visit Cost: Insurance Vs No Insurance

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Nick Versaw

Due to lower costs and convenience, urgent care centers and stand-alone health clinics are becoming more popular. As of 2019, across the United States, there were around 9,616 urgent care centers. But what do they treat at an urgent care clinic? How much does it cost compared to going to the ER? What if you dont have insurance? Well cover these questions and more, plus offer cost-saving advice.

Time & Cost Favor Urgent Care

The cost of hospitals alone should be enough to encourage people to go to urgent care centers. The average urgent care visits range from $100 to $150, depending on the patients 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 Health Care Cost Institute study put the average cost at $1,389 in 2017.

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.

Duration/frequency Of Urgent Care Visits

Every medical clinic charges an office visit fee whenever you walk in to see the physician or doctor, regardless of the reason. Every urgent care clinic has a different cost for office visits. This tends to be the baseline fee that you have to pay.

Usually, an office visit charge is between US$ 100 and US$ 200. This charge may be even higher if the doctor recommends basic tests and procedures. According to studies, the average baseline office visit charges at urgent care clinics are around US$ 141.50.

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What Factors Influence The Cost Of Urgent Care

Because each clinic charges various costs based on the services you require, determine the exact cost of an urgent care visit. Here are some of the most important elements that influence your urgent care expenditures.

Office Consultation Cost

For simply seeing the physician, you are charged a consultation visit cost. This fee is around $100 and does not include any testing, X-rays, prescriptions, or procedures performed during your visit. The national average cost of an X-ray at an urgent care center, for example, is roughly $253, which is in addition to the cost of the office visit.

The Facility Location

The location heavily influences the cost of care in an urgent care facility. The out-of-pocket cost of an urgent care clinic visit in New York City may be around $170, while the same may be around $160 in a similar urgent care facility in Chicago.

Degree of Care Needed by the Patient.

The price you pay at an urgent care facility is usually broken down into different service levels. Standard care appointments for minor issues such as an earache are classified as level 1 or level 2 visits and considered on the service spectrums lower end. A level 3 or 4 visit, on the other hand, might be required if you broke a bone, needed stitches, or had a more serious medical problem.

Save Money With Prime Urgent Care

Prime Urgent Care continues to expand its footprint in the Houston area. Our team, of doctors, nurses, and assistants are all focused on providing quality, affordable healthcare to our patients each and every day. We offer some of the most competitive self-pay rates for visits and diagnostic services .

Please call for any questions regarding co-pays, what insurance plans we accept, self-pay rates, etc. We also offer online check-in and video visits through Telemedicine. If you want to save time without compromising on the quality of care, visit one of our clinics today. We operate clinics in Pearland, Missouri City, and Sugar Land.

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How Much Does Urgent Care Cost For Uninsured Patients

In the United States, 5.4 million laid-off workers became uninsured between February and May 2020, an increase that is 39% higher than any other in modern history.

The average cost of an urgent care visit is $100 to $200, according to American Family Care, the largest urgent care clinic in the United States.

Depending on your medical needs, this could be much higher. Procedures like lab tests and X-rays will increase the amount of your final bill.

Whats The Bottom Line

If you are considering urgent care because you dont believe that you can afford health insurance, you owe it to your self to look into what you can afford. There are many kinds of affordable health care options, and it does not have to be impossible for you to apply for a health insurance policy that fits within your budget.

You also have to consider your personal health. If youre having a serious medical emergency, such as an allergic reaction, go to the emergency room. Time is of the essence in those situations. Should your medical condition be a little less severe, consider going to urgent care instead, to cut back on overcrowding in the ER.

Its also worth checking out the healthcare.gov website to see if you can get a subsidized insurance plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Many low-income people qualify. The bottom line is that you shouldnt wait until you need emergency care before going to the doctor. Take proper care of yourself no matter the situation.

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Urgent Care Quality Affordable Healthcare Without An Insurance Plan

Urgent care clinics are a great healthcare option for a variety of medical needs, treatments, and care. They offer medical care on a walk-in basis when primary care offices are closed or too booked out and provide immediate care for acute medical situations that require medical care quickly. Walk-in medical centers do not treat severe injuries but do treat a wide range of conditions and offer physicals and diagnostic services.

Another important distinction is the cost of medical care at a walk-in medical facility. Urgent care clinics provide convenient access and quality healthcare for various non-life-threatening emergencies with rates that are much lower than a visit to an emergency room. Urgent cares are also a great healthcare option for individuals and families who do not have a health insurance plan through their employer or from a government program. Also, at walk-in medical clinics self-pay rates for medical services are often reduced for patients paying for services out-of-pocket.

Does Insurance Help Pay For Urgent Care

The Cost of Being Uninsured

Those with insurance may not benefit much more than those without insurance when visiting an urgent care facility. The Affordable Care Act requires emergency services coverage by most health insurance plans. Unfortunately, an urgent care visit is not always considered an emergency in their eyes.

When you go to a hospital, it is assumed you are dealing with an emergency. When you go to urgent care, insurance companies may decide your visit was not an emergency. In this situation, those with insurance might be in the same position as those without insurance.

If insurance does cover the visit, patients still have to pay the necessary copay or deductible. According to Solv, those with insurance typically have a copay of $35 to $75 for a visit to urgent care.

Insurance Plan Coverage At Citymd

CityMD will accept most Commercial, Managed Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and exchange insurance plans. If you can’t find your insurance on their list, you can contact your local CityMD urgent care center to see if that location will accept your coverage plan. Most popular plans are taken so it should be fairly straightforward to schedule an appointment with the confidence that your visit will be covered.

CityMD accepts the following insurance plans:

Can I Visit An Urgent Care Without Insurance

Can you go to urgent care without insurance is a question that lingers in many peoples minds, especially those that do not have insurance coverage. Well, the answer is yes. If you go to an urgent care center without insurance, you will be allowed to pay for treatments with cash. Self-pay is the term used to describe this situation. Your needs determine the cost of care at an urgent care center without insurance. Going to an urgent care facility without insurance is a significantly more cost-effective choice if you need medical assistance for small cuts, flu, or fever compared to hospital emergency rooms .

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Services Offered At Citymd Locations

CityMD is a full-service urgent care center, which means the facility can take care of a wide range of health conditions.

Some conditions that CityMD treats include:

Injuries and illnesses

CityMD also has an Aftercare program that offers patients the ability to relay medical information back to their primary care provider, assisting with specialist appointments, and generate work notes.

Services Provided Under Urgent Care

Commonly, urgent care clinics offer treatment for numerous non-life threatening medical problems, such as:

Cuts, bug bites, burns, and animal bites
Sprains falls, strains and broken bones
Sinus pressure and sinus infections
Bronchitis and strep throat

Besides these treatments, urgent care clinics often provide lab services, such as:

Pregnancy tests
Fly and rapid flu tests
Gynecological exams

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When Should I Go To Urgent Care

Urgent care clinics are for people with a medical concern that is urgent but not necessarily an emergency. According to Solvs Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Rob Rohatsch, these non-emergency conditions can include:

Cuts, minor burns, and rashes
Fever, cough, and sore throat
Falls, sprains, and broken bones

Some urgent care facilities offer limited lab tests, including:

What Is The Average Cost Of An Urgent Care Center Visit In The Us

According to Debt.org, the average cost of an urgent care visit is anywhere between $100 to $150 depending on your copay or clinic costs. When looking at the question of how much does an urgent care visit cost without insurance?, you’ll find it’s slightly more expensive, with an average of $175 for services rendered.

What Is Arleta Urgent Care’s Cost Without Insurance

Why there are shocking costs on your emergency room bill

You can still access Arleta Urgent Care services even if you don’t have health insurance coverage. Urgent care visit cost without insurance means that you will have to settle your health care bill off-pocket. This is often when you are receiving a diagnosis or treatment. If you want to defray or reduce upfront off-pocket costs at Arleta Urgent Care, there are several things that you need to do.

You can reach out to our doctors and explain your medical condition and financial situation to our doctor. If you don’t have any health insurance coverage, you can negotiate your urgent care service rates. This is allowed through income-based discounts on services or a low-interest payment plan.
If your financial situation does not accommodate a comprehensive health plan or you temporarily lack health insurance, you may need a short time solution. This calls for a medical indemnity or a short-term health insurance plan which fits your immediate health care needs.

If you decide to take a medical indemnity plan, you will get standard healthcare benefits. On the other hand, a short-term health insurance plan offers health insurance coverage for a given period.

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Common Reasons For Urgent Care Visits

One of the biggest advantages of using an urgent care facility is that you can typically see a health care professional quickly and without having to make an appointment. You simply walk in and ask to be seen as soon as possible.

The cost of care at an urgent care facilityfor both you and your insureris likely to be much lower than what you would pay for care in an emergency room. Because of these lower costs, health insurers generally prefer you seek treatment at an urgent care center instead of an emergency room.

Urgent care facilities arent appropriate if you have an immediate, life-threatening condition or illness. In such situations, an emergency room is likely your best bet.

How K Health Can Help

Need to go to urgent care but no insurance?

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K Health has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references.

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Crowdfund To Pay Your Medical Bills

If youre having trouble figuring out how to pay for an emergency room visit, crowdfunding can help. Share your experience with your network of friends and family by starting a fundraiser and asking them if they can please help. When your community sees the struggle youre going through, they may want to make a donation to help you get back on your feet. Its also important to note that while government assistance programs and grants can take a long time to come through, you can receive funds to your bank account in a matter of days through fundraising online. Before you get started, read through these medical fundraising tips and look through existing crowdfunding campaigns for ideas on how to tell your story as well as some of the benefits of using crowdfunding. Below are three stories of people who used online fundraising to help pay their medical bills:

Codys Medical Bills

27-year-old Cody slipped and hit his head when he was at his friends house. At first, he thought nothing of it and got up and went about his day. A few hours later, he struggled to maintain consciousness and he was rushed to the hospital where they found that he had a brain bleed. While Cody is recovering, a family friend started a GoFundMe to help pay for his stay in the hospital. So far, friends and family members have raised over $80,000 for Cody.

Jons bike accident medical fund

Jens ER Visit

Tips For Taking Control Of Your Health Care

Dont procrastinate. Delaying the care you need for too long will end up costing you more in the end.

Switch your focus from reactive care to proactive care. Figuring out how to pay for an ER visit is a lot harder than preventing an ER visit in the first place. Data show that preventive health care measures lead to fewer illnesses and better outcomes.

Plan for the unknown. Its inevitable that at some point in your life youll need health care. Start a savings account fund or better yet, enroll in a health savings account . If youre employed you already qualify for an HSA. A contribution of just $9 a paycheck could add up to $468 tax-free dollars for you to spend on health care every year. Unlike the use-it-or-lose-it savings plans of the past, modern plans dont expire. You can use HSA dollars to pay for out-of-pocket costs like copayments, deductibles, and for services that your health insurance may not cover, like dental and vision services.

Advocate for yourself. There is nothing more empowering than taking charge of your health. Shop around for services and compare prices on procedures to make sure youre getting the best prices possible.

If you are uninsured or doing self-pay, negotiate your bill and ask for a cash discount.

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Denver Urgent Care Without Insurance

Too many people believe that, without insurance, Denver urgent care is going to be prohibitively expensive. Thats very rarely the case with Rocky Mountain Urgent Care. Even without health coverage, our patients pay just $150 for a basic visit to see a doctor. Thats about the same as the urgent care co-pay for a lot of health insurance plans. Of course, if you need X-rays, lab testing, or other diagnostic and treatment services, your bill is going to be more than $150.

Nevertheless, you wont get hit with runaway healthcare costs. Emergency care masquerading as urgent care is one of the reasons people think urgent care without insurance is a huge medical bill in waiting. What might cost hundreds of dollars in an urgent care setting can cost thousands when billed as emergency care. In contrast, our walk-in urgent care clinic is only a bit more expensive than our family medicine and pediatric services.

Making it Work: Affordable Urgent care without Insurance

Even with health insurance reform, a lot of people still dont have coverage. But thats no reason to go without urgent care services. In fact, getting prompt medical attention for any number of health issues can actually prevent a trip to the ER and the huge medical bills that people are so afraid of.

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Visit One of Our Denver Urgent Care Clinics