How Much Does the Urgent Care Cost?

Life-threatening injuries and accidents require a visit to the emergency room, also known as ER. But, what about the cut on your finger? And that suspiciously high fever? Well, these types of minor emergencies are handled by Urgent care. This raises the question: Is urgent care expensive? And do I need an insurance cover? And, Can clients expect paying out of their pockets for services provided?

What Is Urgent Care?

Urgent care is essentially a facility offered by public and private hospitals and clinics; it tends to treat minor injuries that are not life-threatening, such as high fevers, accidents, minor broken bones, and much more, Unlike emergency rooms (ER) that treat much more grave and life-threatening situations, like knife or gun wounds, severe burns, and difficulty in breathing. Patients should also know that suicidal thoughts and attempts are treated by the emergency room too.

Is Urgent Care Cheaper Than an ER?

Due to their nature of work, it is expected that an urgent care visit costs less than an emergency room visit, and in fact, it is true.

Urgent care emergencies and treatments are much cheaper than emergency room visits. However, individuals should not utilize urgent care for life-threatening situations as they might refer you to an emergency room instead.

Is the insurance necessary for urgent care?

Depending on the urgent care facility, some will charge a higher rate for uncovered individuals seeking services. However, other facilities claim they will not treat a patient if they do not have health insurance. Patients can still seek care; if they cannot afford the payment upfront, it is possible to set up a payment plan. Note that patients can also negotiate a fitting payment plan and with a reduced price.

Urgent care costs without insurance

For individuals who do not have an insurance plan, they should expect a price that ranges from $100 to $200; whether insured or not, urgent care remains cheaper than emergency room treatment in most cases. However, patients should not utilize urgent care without insurance. If you would like to learn more about the best plans covering urgent care, you can check theartofinsurance.org.

Urgent care costs with insurance:

Individuals who have insurance should be happy to know that most insurance plans cover urgent care visits. If the clients have paid their deductibles, they are only expected to pay between $25 to $75 for their visit. However, those who did not pay their deductible shouldn’t be surprised if they were charged the full bill.

Does urgent care insurance offer co-pay?

For other insurance plans, Insurers might suggest a Co-pay payment method that covers their bill partially. Meaning, the client will pay around 20-40% of the bill while the insurer covers the rest.

Do I have to pay upfront for urgent care?

Most urgent care facilities expect an upfront payment for your treatment. Regardless, uninsured clients and those who cannot afford the upfront payment are given the option to enroll in a payment plan that fits their needs.