UTIs and Urgent Care: Understanding the Risks, Costs, and...
A urinary tract infection (also called a “bladder infection” or “UTI”) is a common bacterial infection that can...
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California is a large state by all accounts, with a population that tops 38 million. It's a dream-state, with people pouring in from other parts of the United States and the world, due to the largely warm and sunny climate, the glamor, the natural landscapes, the ocean, and scores of other reasons. With hospitals and health systems such as Adventist, USC Medical Center, UCLA, Centinela, Cedar-Sinai, Good Samaritan, and many others, they're well-represented with healthcare providers, but not always the best choice for all residents.
In many parts of the state, such as Southern California, the need for urgent care facilities is growing exponentially. California is now facing a serious shortage of primary care physicians, especially when compared to its population. This shortage seriously affects the state's large immigrant, illegal alien, and minority communities, as well as those who live in more rural areas. Although the climate in the state is temperate enough, heat stroke and on-the-job injuries are understandably prevalent, creating a need for immediate medical care.
There's an abundance of doctors in more populated areas, such as Los Angeles and its suburbs, Sacramento, San Francisco, and other larger metropolitan cities, but the distribution isn't even enough to really be safe. Patients who have to travel to get into a hospital clog the ERs and waiting rooms for problems that aren't necessarily life-threatening. For ailments like sunburn, cut fingers, or even fever and swelling from plastic surgery, convenient care providers make much more sense.
Walk-in clinics offer the care needed for these unfortunate, but less serious problems. They also provide a means for California's uninsured population to get affordable treated in a clean environment staffed with skilled, knowledgeable healthcare professionals.
The price charged at an urgent care, whether in California or elsewhere, will be based on the location, and there are no actual standard costs between the clinics. Assuming you are paying with cash, you might come across an urgent clinic that charges you $50 while another situated some mile away charges you $100 for the same services. The standard cost in urgent care where insurance cover is not involved ranges from $100 to $125. This price is generally the standard price of a visit before extra services. There are a couple of additional care services that could make your appointment to an urgent care costly including x-rays and lab tests, medications and injections (such as immunization), casting broken bones, as well as stitches and splints. If you have a viable insurance plan in place, the standard pay will be between $20 – 50 depending on your insurance coverage and whether you are in contact with the provider.
Most primary care doctor offices are open during routine work hours, Monday thru Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Conversely, most of the urgent care centers in California are available after hours, on weekends, and many holidays. Typical urgent care hours are 8:00 am to 8:00 pm daily, although location-specific hours may vary.
Historically, urgent care centers were strictly an on-demand, walk-in healthcare service mode. More recently, as consumer behaviors and expectations have evolved, many urgent care clinics have begun offering book ahead visits, allowing consumers to select a same-day or next-day time that works best for their schedule. Use Solv to find a California urgent care center that offers advanced bookings (or appointments) and book online.
Solv allows California residents and visitors to book urgent care visits online with just a few taps. Same-day and next-day visit times are generally available, and you can search for real-time availability clinics.
Solv allows you to find any of the urgent care and walk-in clinics in California, many of which accept most major commercial insurances. Just browse the clinics page to see if your carrier and plan is listed. If you are still unsure, it is best to contact the urgent care center directly for clarification.
Many urgent care centers, including those in California, now offer virtual visits or telemedicine for residents and visitors throughout the state. Virtual urgent care visits are generally booked online whether in advance or on-demand. Clinics that do offer virtual care have a video icon on their profiles.
While it would be easy to provide a list of urgent care centers in and around California, 'best' is a challenging term to qualify. For some consumers, that could mean the closest location whereas other people may prioritize patient reviews, service costs, availability, or whether or not the provider accepts their insurance. With the list of locations above, use the filters provided to narrow the results to find the best urgent care for your needs.
Urgent care is available to assist patients that are looking for immediate, convenient medical care. In that manner, they are similar to an emergency room. The difference, however, is that ERs are meant to treat major, life-threatening injuries and illnesses while urgent care centers manage life’s minor bruises and bumps. In simple terms, an urgent care is seen as a walk-in health center that focuses in offering non-emergent health care conditions, including the treatment of the typical illnesses and injuries such as fractures and sprains, cuts and burns, scrapes, stings and bites, flu and cold symptoms, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and much more. Most urgent care facilities offer both diagnostic and preventive care such as well visits, immunizations, STD testing and annual physicals. For regular visits and check-ups on these clinics, you should expect to pay between $20 and $100. The good thing is that most urgent care clinics will accept major PPOs and insurance cover, Medicare, as well as self-pay in the form of credit cards or cash. Urgent care clinics are located in most parts of the country in various regions to offset emergency room visits and provide a gap in healthcare services. They take patients during all hours of operations, which offer a significant convenience to most people who have and continue to undergo the need for sudden and immediate medical attention.
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