FIRST POINT URGENT CARE inc.

General Information

ER visit or Urgent Care visit?

Did you know that 70% of all ER visits are non-emergent and can be treated at an urgent care facility?  

Not all injuries require a costly trip to an Emergency Room. Emergency Rooms are not the fastest or most cost effective choice when you need immediate health care, and often it takes days to get in to see a primary care physician or specialist. In fact, the average ER wait time is 4 hours for non-emergent or non life-threatening illnesses.  Emergency Rooms treat patients based on the severity of the condition. Patients with life-threatening injuries go first. 

Patients at an urgent care center are seen on a first-come, first-serve basis and average less than 1 hour from the time they arrive until they depart.

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ER Costs

While it may be tempting to head straight to the ER when experiencing a medical problem, it’s important to be aware that a non-emergency ER visit-could end up  with higher out-of pocket costs. The cost of a visit to an urgent care clinic will generally be significantly lower than a visit to the ER.

The average urgent care visits range from $135 to $180, depending on the patient’s co-pay and level of treatment, whereas an ER visit averages anywhere between $750 to as high as $3,500 or more.

Most health plans include urgent care in their networks. Contact your insurance provider to learn more about what’s included in your coverage.

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When to consider Emergency Room visit?

An emergency room is a medical treatment facility designed to accommodate people with life threatening injuries or illnesses. If you’re experiencing any of the following medical conditions, you should go to an Emergency Room as soon as possible:

• Chest Pain/Chest pressure 

• Significant shortness of breath

• Sudden numbness or paralysis of a limb

• Fainting or seizures

• Intractable abdominal pain