For many non-life threatening illnesses and health complications, much time and money can be saved by visiting an urgent care facility, instead of wasting time at a hospital emergency room. So, before you rush to the ER, or call that emergency room phone number, consider visiting urgent care. In the United States, many urgent care centers are located in free standing buildings, while some are found medical plazas or retail centers. Urgent care facilities can prescribe antibiotics, pain medication, and evaluate the needs of a patient all within one visit.

Urgent care facilities see patients immediately on a walk-in basis. This eliminates the hassle of waiting in an emergency room or scheduling an appointment with your primary care physician. Additionally, urgent care facilities in the U.S. are required by the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine to be open for business 7 days a week, and an estimated 85% of urgent care centers in the U.S. are open 24 hours of the day.

Not only will visiting these health care facilities help you save time when you are in need of immediate treatment, but they are typically more affordable than an emergency room. Recent research shows in the United States, a visit to urgent care is 40 to 50 percent less expensive than a trip to the emergency room. Urgent care also accepts patients without healthcare. However, if you do have health care coverage, many urgent care facilities will accept your coverage as payment, too.

If you need treatment for ailments such as the flu, strep throat, x-rays for sprained or fractured bones, or even testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, before you call the emergency room phone number, visit an urgent care facility to save money and time. While urgent care can not completely replace your primary care physician or a hospital emergency room, it is a convenient option when treating health ailments. More like this article.