Don’t have health insurance? You are not alone. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 31 million Americans are uninsured. It’s no wonder that so many people choose to postpone seeking medical treatment as they try to avoid a financial setback from the potential cost of care.
Enter urgent care. In most cases, if you walk into an urgent care center without insurance, they will allow you to pay affordable cash prices for services. This is usually referred to as self-pay. The amount you pay for treatment at an urgent care without insurance will depend on your needs.
Seeking care at an urgent care clinic without insurance is a far more cost-effective option if you need medical attention for issues such as fever, flu symptoms, allergic reactions, minor cuts, animal bites, or minor broken bones. Urgent care centers can also handle annual physicals and vaccinations for those who need them.
However, ERs often end up treating minor emergencies that could be treated at an urgent care clinic. In fact, research puts that number at roughly 60 percent. Aside from costing a lot of money, choosing to seek treatment at an ER for a minor medical issue also leads to overcrowded emergency rooms, longer wait times, and puts people who really do need emergency care in danger.
If you have an extreme health emergency, like a stroke, heart attack, severe burns, or electrical shock, an ER’s services are necessary. Otherwise, an urgent care should be your first choice.
A visit to an urgent care without insurance can also be good for your financial health. The bill from an ER visit can leave you in sticker shock, especially if you do not have insurance. One study found the average ER visit costs 40 percent more than what the average American pays for a month’s rent. Patients, whether they are insured or not, usually have no way of knowing how high their bills will be until they receive them in the mail. The charges can be substantial and can take many years to pay off.
The average ER visit can cost a patient at least $750 while the same treatment at an urgent care without insurance can cost as little as $150. It should be noted that the cost of an urgent care visit without insurance will depend on where you live. However, you can request to see a menu of services and costs from an urgent care in advance so you can know ahead of time what your appointment will cost.
American Family Care (AFC), the nation’s leading provider of urgent care and primary care services, is very transparent about its fees. You can call the AFC nearest you to understand how the urgent care center charges patients without insurance. Do not forget to take advantage of AFC’s telehealth option, which can provide a basic virtual consult with a medical provider for less than the cost of a traditional visit.
At AFC, you do not need an appointment, and we offer extended hours on weekdays and weekends, too.
Use our easy location finder to identify an AFC near you.
