Insight Urgent Care – With travelers visiting family and going on vacation, shoppers heading to stores looking for last-minute gifts, and an abundance of food and parties, the holidays are one of the busiest times of the year for most people. Yet as you spend time celebrating with family and friends and being more active than usual, you are also more likely to catch a cold or the flu, have an accident, or experience an unexpected ailment that can quickly deter your holiday plans. At this time each year, emergency departments see a significant uptick in hospital visits, often for non-urgent reasons. This puts a bigger burden on hospital resources and staff and leads to greater wait times and stress for patients and their families.
If you need immediate medical care for a non-life threatening issue during the holidays, you should visit an urgent care center instead. Not only is urgent care more efficient and convenient, but it is also easily accessible in most communities and staffed by highly-skilled doctors and healthcare professionals who are trained to treat most injuries and illnesses that require immediate attention.
Is Urgent Care Open On Holidays | Urgent Care vs Emergency Rooms (ER)
Is urgent care open on holidays? Yes. Urgent care centers are equipped to treat patients with illnesses and injuries that are not life threatening but cannot wait for an appointment with a primary care physician. Fever or flu, a sore throat and cough, sprains and strains, minor broken bones and fractures, and skin rashes can all be treated in an urgent care setting.
You should call 911 or go to the emergency room immediately if someone is experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain, stroke symptoms, large lacerations, and other life-threatening conditions. In most cases, it is obvious when a situation is an emergency. But when you are uncertain, it is always advisable to go to an emergency room for evaluation.
5 Reasons You Should Choose Urgent Care Instead of the Emergency Room This Holiday Season
Convenience
Whether your child wakes up with pinkeye on Christmas morning or you have a minor kitchen accident while preparing food, urgent care centers fill the gap between your primary care doctor and an emergency room visit when you need immediate care. Most urgent care centers are open every day of the week (even holidays), have convenient hours, and are in easily accessible locations. Urgent care centers also offer walk-in appointments, accept most insurances, and have on-site imaging, pharmacy, and diagnostic services all under one roof.
Access To Quality Doctors
A common misconception about urgent care centers is that they are not staffed by qualified healthcare professionals and that you may not receive the same level of care that you would find in a hospital emergency room setting. This is untrue. Urgent care centers are staffed by qualified doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who specialize in urgent care medicine.
When you visit an urgent care center, you can expect the same level of care as you would receive from your primary care doctor or an emergency room doctor. Although urgent care doctors are not a replacement for a primary care physician, they may coordinate with your PCP and schedule follow up appointments to ensure you receive the highest level of care possible.
Save Money
Many people do not realize that a visit to the emergency room for a simple illness or injury can cost thousands of dollars. However, urgent care providers usually offer the same treatment as an ER for a fraction of the cost. Most health insurance companies also cover urgent care visits, making this an affordable choice. If you are unsure of your coverage, your insurance provider or the urgent care center can verify your benefits, copays, and what you can expect to pay before you see a doctor. Urgent care is also an affordable option for those without health insurance and often offer discounts or financial assistance to ensure every patient receives the care they need.
Worry-Free Care While Traveling
Nobody plans on an accident. But if you are out of town and realize you forgot your prescription medication, have cold/flu symptoms, or experience a minor injury, urgent care centers allow you to get the care you need right away without spoiling your trip. Urgent care is designed to be simple and cost effective. Most health insurances cover urgent care services, even if you are out of state or your network.
Before any trip, it is always a good idea to do your homework, have a plan for how to get care, and remember to bring your health insurance card with you.
Get Treatment For Common Holiday Accidents & Injuries
It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but a number of accidents and injuries are more likely to occur during the holidays. Fortunately, urgent care centers are equipped to handle most of the common holiday-related medical needs you may encounter. For example, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission says about 160 people are injured each day putting up holiday decorations.
The CPSC also says there were more than 152,000 toy-related injuries last year, with non-motorized scooters leading the category of toys associated with the most injuries. Food is another common reason people seek urgent care treatment during the holidays, with injuries from cooking accidents, heartburn/indigestion, and food-borne illness all likely during the season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has many resources on making safety a priority during the holidays, including tips on toy safety and preventing the spread of germs.
If you or a loved one have an illness or injury that requires immediate medical attention during the holidays, urgent care is a great choice. Urgent care centers offer quality, convenience, expertise, and many of the same services as emergency rooms for a fraction of the cost. Insight Urgent Care in Flint, Michigan is open daily (including holidays) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and offers walk-in urgent care, StatOrtho orthopedic care, and on-demand occupational medicine services. For more information on urgent care services at Insight, visit our website or call (810) 213-8144.
FAQ
Q: What is the difference between urgent care and an emergency room?
A: Although urgent care and emergency room services both specialize in medical needs that require immediate attention, there are distinct differences between the two. Urgent care fills the gap between a primary care physician and emergency care, treating cold and flu symptoms, sprains/strains, minor rashes or allergic reactions, and other non-life threatening conditions. Emergency room visits should be reserved for serious medical conditions, including chest pain and trouble breathing, concussions, slurred speech, excessive bleeding, and severe burns and lacerations.
Q: Is urgent care expensive?
A: Urgent care is an affordable and time-saving alternative to an emergency room visit, which can cost thousands of dollars. Urgent care is covered by most health insurances. According to research compiled by debt.org an urgent care visit ranges from $100 to $150 or less, depending on your plan and copays.
Q: Will I see a doctor at urgent care?
A: Urgent care facilities are staffed by highly-skilled healthcare professionals who specialize in urgent care medicine. Depending on the location, you will see a doctor or a nurse practitioner who is licensed and qualified to treat most illnesses or injuries in an urgent care setting. You may also encounter other specialists, such as x-ray technicians, orthopedists, and pediatricians, if your visit requires further expertise.