Best support during immediate care

When you or a loved one gets sick or injured, the last thing you want to worry about is whether the nearest place for treatment is open. For most people, the first instinct is to rush to the emergency room, despite the possibility of enduring a long wait time. Others may opt for a 24 hr urgent care Cypress TX to get immediate care.

Understanding your options before immediate care is needed will make this decision much easier when the time comes.When most people see the term “emergency room,” they think of needing immediate medical attention. This is true, since the ER is usually the first destination for someone who suffered a serious injury at home, work or school.However, recent years have introduced urgent care facilities, which are also for illnesses or injuries that require immediate medical attention. The difference is these clinics are used when treatment does not require an ER visit but a person’s primary care physician is not available.

Wait Times

The main mission of an urgent care center is to provide medical care in the absence of a patient’s primary doctor. Some centers close late in the evenings; others remain open for 24 hours. With the ER, medical treatment is accessible around the clock, but wait times could be for several hours.When you go to the ER for non-emergency conditions, your wait time can be much longer than someone who is facing a life-threatening trauma. Serious injuries or illnesses are seen first and the wait time is much less. Typically, you do not wait too long at an urgent care facility either. Time is significantly between the initial triage and when you are examined by a physician.

Cost of Receiving Treatment

These two healthcare options have another important difference to consider: expense. Even a relatively minor injury can equal major costs when you are treated at an emergency room. By law, most ERs are required to treat anyone who comes in for medical attention. This includes people without insurance or the financial ability to pay, which causes the hospital to recoup some losses from insured patients.On the other hand, urgent care facilities can refuse to treat patients who are unable to pay, either through insurance or out of their own pockets. Therefore, the cost of care is significantly lower.No one can predict a medical emergency, so it is comforting to know that you have options when it comes to getting the medical care you need, whenever you need it.