If you’re looking for low-cost, urgent medical care, a walk-in health clinic may be the best choice for you. If you have a problem that is not serious enough for the emergency room, a walk-in clinic offers full medical services and testing. For all kinds of diagnostics, like diabetes or fast std testing, there is most likely an urgent care facility near you.
At a walk in clinic, you generally don’t need to make an appointment to see a doctor. And you won’t spend hours waiting as would for emergency care. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that each year 129.8 million people go the emergency room. Of these, many could have gone instead to a neighborhood walk-in clinic, saving a large amount of time and money.

Urgent care is accessible and affordable

Neighborhood health clinics are affordable and have extended hours. No appointments are needed. Most urgent care centers -some 85% – are open seven days. More than two-thirds open before 9 am and the majority -95% – close as late as 7 pm. At the majority of urgent care clinics, some 69%, wait times to see a doctor are less than 20 minutes.

As a result, on average a patient saves nearly three hours and $784 by going to a neighborhood walk in clinic instead of the emergency room. Neighborhood walk in clinics are also becoming much more accessible, with about two new ones opening every day. It is estimated that by 2019, there will be 15,000 urgent care clinics across the country.

Neighborhood health clinics offer full services

Walk in urgent care centers are well equipped and can carry out most tests and diagnostics on site, with very short wait times. They offer full medical services, including:

• X-Ray and lab equipment on site
• fast std testing
• diabetes testing and treatment
• simple sprains and injuries

Urgent care clinics thus offer flexibility, convenience and lower costs. For most medical care, and non-emergency and non-life-threatening situations, they are becoming the first choice.