Navigating Health Expenses: How Much Is an Urgent Care Visit?
The Gist
Urgent care centers (sometimes called “walk-in health clinics”) are an affordable, convenient option if you need to see a doctor on short notice.
You should consider an urgent care clinic if your primary doctor is not available and you are not experiencing a medical emergency.
Walk-in health clinics will see you if you don’t have insurance, but you will be expected to pay the full amount owed out of pocket.
Different urgent care centers have different pricing structures, so if you have the option, it might be worth calling ahead to see how much it might cost.
Urgent care will always be a cheaper option than an emergency room visit, but you may incur additional costs like lab fees. Also, the doctor you see might refer you for follow-ups with other specialists.
You can avoid some of these out-of-pocket expenses by having ahealth insurance.
In This Article
Is Urgent Care Covered by Insurance? How Much Is an Urgent Care Visit?
What’s the Easiest Way to Sign Up for a New Health Insurance Plan?
In Short
If you’re not feeling right or have a minor injury, you have a few options. You can call your primary care doctor and see if they can squeeze you in, but most of the time, they’ll be booked for weeks or even months at a time. Before heading to the emergency room (ER), check to see if there are any urgent care centers in your area. They might also be called a “walk-in health clinic,” or there may even be a clinic at your local pharmacy or grocery store.
You can go to a walk-in clinic even if you don’t have insurance, but you may incur some large out-of-pocket medical bills. In this article, we’ll cover what to expect at a visit to urgent care and how much you can expect to pay, with or without insurance.
What Is an Urgent Care Center?
Urgent care centers are health clinics that accept walk-up appointments. They are usually used for lower-priority medical treatment, as opposed to medical emergencies. It should go without saying, but if you are experiencing anemergency, you should head to the ER as quickly as possible.
You can typically visit an urgent care center for the following purposes:
Treatment and diagnosis of minor illnesses, like a slight fever or a cold
Regular vaccinations, including COVID and the flu
Annual physicals
Seasonal allergies
Minor injuries that do not require surgery
Testing, for instance, STIs or COVID
Depending on the location, the available equipment (like x-ray machines) , and other factors, your local urgent care may or may not offer all the above services. Other times, they may only offer specific services (like vaccinations) at certain times of the year. Some walk-in clinics are associated with hospitals or hospital networks, while others are independent, third-party organizations.
We recommend calling a few walk-in health clinics (unless you’re already familiar with one) to double-check their hours and available services. If you don’t have insurance, different urgent care facilities may charge you vastly different amounts, but we’ll cover that later.
Is Urgent Care Covered by Insurance? How Much Is an Urgent Care Visit?
Yes, walk-in health clinics accept insurance. Typically, if you have health insurance, you can expect to pay anywhere from a $50 to $100 co-pay at the time of the visit ifthe facility is in-network for your plan. A co-pay is a standard fee you pay to receive certain medical care. Most of the time, your co-pay amounts will be printed on your health insurance card. If not, you can call your insurance company to make sure you know what to expect before visiting.
On top of your co-pay, you may owe the facility for lab fees, follow-up visits, or medication if they’re affiliated directly with a pharmacy. If you have insurance, the amount you owe for these additional services will depend on your coverage level, your deductible, and more. As a quick explainer, if your deductible is $4,000, you’ve “hit your deductible” when you’ve paid a cumulative total of $4,000 on health care in a calendar year. At this point, your insurance will start chipping in a higher percentage for services they may not have covered fully prior to hitting your deductible.
Will I See a Doctor at an Urgent Care Center?
Yes, probably. Walk-in clinics operate within something of a spectrum. Some will have multiple doctors on call, while others might only have a single doctor and a crew of nurses and physician assistants. In the latter case, you’ll spend the majority of your time with the nurses taking your vitals and filling out your symptoms and medical history in your chart; then, the doctor or physician assistant will come in to confirm the diagnosis and recommend treatment.
Occasionally, you’ll be seen by a nurse practitioner. Rest assured, nurse practitioners are trained to diagnose you, write prescriptions, and recommend treatment — or at the very least; they should be able to refer you to the right specialist who can.
Do Walk-In Clinics Take Patients Without Insurance?
Yes! Most walk-in health clinics will take patients without insurance. If you lack insurance, we recommend calling around because the services (and prices) may vary based on the facility.
When you call, you’ll want to ask:
How much an urgent care visit is without insurance
How long the wait time is
If they offer payment plans for additional bills that you may incur
To lower your out-of-pocket costs, we recommend getting a new insurance plan (more on that later)
How Much Is An Urgent Care Visit Without Insurance?
After reading all this, we’re sure you’re still asking yourself, “How much is urgent care without insurance?” Well, unfortunately, that can vary. According to Debt.org, for the visit alone, you could end up paying anywhere from $80 to $280 for basic treatment, while more advanced treatments could cost you up to $440. Typically, the urgent care will request this payment in full at the time of your visit, but occasionally they’ll offer payment plans.
Additionally, x-rays, follow-up visits, and other treatments could really start to add up. To avoid some of these charges, we recommend having health insurance.
What’s the Easiest Way to Sign Up for a New Health Insurance Plan?
While there are a lot of variables when it comes to walk-in health clinics, one thing remains constant: Having health insurance can save you hundreds, or even thousands, in out-of-pocket expenses. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, it’s easier than ever to get affordable, comprehensive health care.
The simplest way to get coverage you feel confident about is with Stride. Just enter your ZIP code, provide some basic health information, and shop for your plan. We’ll show you every plan available in your area, recommend the best coverage for your specific needs, and help you compare and contrast plans to find the right one. You can even enroll directly from our site!
Sign up for health insurance today and save yourself headaches (and cash) tomorrow.
