Due to the increasing number of health insurance plans with high deductibles, a number doctors are noticing that their patients are increasingly aware of the cost of medical care, and therefore more likely to consider visiting different types of medical centers and walk in clinics to receive treatment. For this reason, more and more patients are visiting urgent care centers and discovering the benefits of urgent medical care. Now, the state of Wisconsin has become the latest site of these urgent care clinics, and many are betting that it won’t be the last.

Urgent care facilities are medical walk in clinics, designed to treat non-life-threatening conditions without the hassle of scheduling an appointment. Additionally, urgent care centers are known for their extended hours, short waiting times and affordable prices, making them a helpful alternative to a hospital visit. In fact, research shows that an estimated 35% of patients who receive emergency room care in the United States could have had their cases resolved faster and more affordably at one of these walk in clinics.

Because of these benefits, urgent care centers have spread rapidly across the U.S., with many clinics setting up in medical plazas or even retail centers. However,it seems to be only recently that the state of Wisconsin has caught onto the trend. As of November 2014, there are two urgent care chains operating in Wisconsin, offering a number of services, including X-rays and lab work. The latest franchise, which opened in Waukesha, will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, and plans to contract with local companies to provide employee drug-testing services and treatment for workplace injuries, a fairly common practice. Despite the other walk in clinics in the area, this center says they have permission to open another five locations in Wisconsin, a course they expect to pursue due to the high rate of business urgent care clinics typically handle.

The quick rate at which urgent care clinics are becoming part of Wisconsin’s healthcare system is telling of the benefits these centers offer to patients across the country. For this reason, the next time you have a non-critical medical condition that requires immediate attention, don’t waste your time and money at an emergency room or waiting for a doctor’s appointment. Instead, visit your nearest urgent care center and see the difference these walk in clinics can make! For more, read this link.