What is the Difference between Urgent Care Clinic and Free-Standing Emergency Rooms?

Have you noticed? Free standing Emergency Rooms are on every street corner in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. While the facilities seem convenient and advertise “no wait time,” they are rarely in any insurance carrier’s network and the cost does not count toward your in-network medical deductible. Furthermore, since these facilities are not in-network they are able to balance bill patients, which leads to exorbitant out-of-pocket costs. It is recommended that if individuals need care and their Primary Care Physician’s office is closed, to use an Urgent Care Clinic.

Did You Know?

• The average cost of care at a freestanding Emergency Room in Texas was $2,199 in 2015, compared with $168 at an Urgent Care.
• It is estimated that $18 billion could be saved nationwide if patients avoided ERs for non-urgent issues and utilized Urgent Care, Primary Care Physicians or Telemedicine

It is important to know the difference between an URGENT CARE and EMERGENCY ROOM to avoid potentially exorbitant out-of-pocket emergency costs.

When Should You Go to an Urgent Care Clinic?

These conditions may be treated at Urgent Care clinics:

• Fever
• Ear Pain
• Nausea or Vomiting
• Rashes, cuts, or scrapes
• Bone X-Rays, sprains, or strain

When Should You Go to an Emergency Room?

These conditions may be treated at an Emergency Room:

• Heart attack symptoms
• High fever with stiff neck, mental confusion
• Wounds that won’t stop bleeding
• Stroke

Note: If you are experiencing any one of these conditions above, it is recommended that you visit an ER attached to a hospital.