In a recent survey conducted with the Urgent Care Association, Solv found that patients were waiting an average of 24 days for appointments with their primary care provider. In a world of instant gratification, consumers demand more. They demand now. If you want to watch a movie, you download it in minutes or stream it instantly. If you need groceries, you can pick up your phone and have them delivered to you within the hour. If you need restaurant reservations, you find one with availability, book online, walk in minutes later and sit right down. Healthcare shouldn’t be any different.
That’s why urgent care has been growing at a faster pace than any other healthcare service in the United States. And it is why healthcare consumers search for “urgent care” more than 5x more than “primary care” or “family doctor,” combined. These consumers are highly actionable, searching with high intent terms like “urgent care near me.” They want same day access to quality healthcare providers when they are sick or injured - after hours, one weekends and on holidays - without the cost and inconvenience of the emergency room.
Urgent care centers typically treat minor illnesses like the flu, sinus infections and strep throat, as well as injuries like bone fractures and sprains, cuts, scrapes and burns, making these clinics ideal for diagnosing and treating non-emergent healthcare needs. And at a growing rate urgent care clinics are offering preventative care services including annual physicals and well visits, flu shots and other immunizations and vaccines, taking on the role of primary care provider for the tens of millions of consumers that don’t have one.
For kids there are special pediatric urgent care centers, usually open after hours for patients between the ages of 1 and 18.
Pediatric Urgent Care Guide
Services & Pricing
Urgent care centers, which are part of the walk-in clinic healthcare category, are a convenient resource for consumers needing treatment for minor illnesses and injuries. Services that you would normally receive at your pediatricians office are usually available at a pediatric urgent care including annual and school physicals, flu shots and immunizations, treatment for illnesses including colds, flu stomach pains, sinus and ear infections and more. Your children can also be seen for injuries such as burns, bites, sprains and breaks - things that you might first thing to go to the emergency room vs urgent care, but you’ll have a shorter wait and smaller bill at the urgent care. As for cost, without insurance, you should expect between $100-140 for your visit, plus the cost of any labs, tests or images. With insurance, urgent care will be similar to seeing a specialist with applicable co-pay.
Insurance & Payments
Just like a traditional (or adult) urgent care center, pediatric clinics usually all accept commercial health insurance plans. Medicare usually isn’t applicable given the typical age of patients and their parents, however. If you have insurance coverage, you can expect the financial exposure and payment process to be similar to visiting a medical specialist where you have a co-pay, likely between $35-50, due at the time of the visit, prior to seeing a physician. Additionally services like lab work, x-rays, and tests will be first billed against your insurance with any balance and any supplemental balance due will be invoiced to you after the fact. Without insurance, you’ll pay a visit fee between $100-140 at the time of your visit. This is typically 25-50% more than your primary care provider, but usually the convenience is well worth the additional cost.
Hours & Wait Times
Every pediatric urgent care center, including those part of larger brands or groups, often have different hours. While they are meant to be conveniently accessible during times when your pediatrician is not, it is highly variable. While general urgent care centers are usually open 6 to 7 days a week between the hours of 8 am to 8 pm, pediatric clinics are a little different in that they offer an after hours schedule, perhaps 5 pm to midnight during the week and noon to midnight on weekends. It’s always best to call in advance, however. As for wait time, most patients report waiting between 15-45 minutes on average, but that can certainly vary, as well. It’s usually best to find a pediatric urgent care near you to either confirm the hours online, or call the clinic directly to verify. Or, you can book a same day doctor appointment online with Solv.
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Popular Urgent Care and Walk-in Clinic Brands
- Healthcare Clinic at Walgreens
- NextCare Urgent Care
- CVS MinuteClinic
- Concentra Urgent Care
- US Healthworks
- MedExpress Urgent Care
- The Little Clinic
- Target Clinic
- FastMed Urgent Care
- Doctors Care
- Patient First
- CareSpot
- Physicians Immediate Care
- Health First Now Urgent Care
- Urgent Care Travel
- Rockwood Clinic Urgent Care
- Next Level Urgent Care
- CityMD Urgent Care
- Velocity Care
- Optum Clinic + Urgent Care
- Presbyterian Healthcare Services
- MedSpring Urgent Care
- MedStar PromptCare
- Hartford HealthCare Urgent Care
- Got A Doc
- Access Medical Centers
- Urgent Care Centers of Kentucky
- MD NOW Urgent Care Centers
- CareSTAT
- Nationwide Children's Hospital
- Summit Express Clinic
- ParkMed Urgent Care
- STAT Health Urgent Care
- ImmediCenter
- Immediate MD
- DoctorsCare
- Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care
- Beebe Healthcare
- NEA Baptist Clinic
- First Care
Pediatric Urgent Care FAQs
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What Is Pediatric Urgent Care?
Pediatric urgent care operators generally complement regular pediatricians, most of whom are open within typical business hours (e.g. from 9 am - 5 pm Monday to Friday). These healthcare professionals help with those late night child emergencies that would otherwise require a trip to the emergency room. Pediatric urgent care facilities treat both minor and severe health conditions in children. They are typically open until midnight and throughout the weekend even when regular pedestrians are closed. These children's doctors, without doubt, save parents the unnecessary and painful trips to the emergency room.
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What Is the Difference between an Urgent Care Facility and an Emergency Room?
The real difference between a pediatric urgent care facility and an emergency room is in the patient experience. A typical emergency room wait time is nearly two and a half hours. With a pediatric urgent care, however, the patient will receive treatment in 15-45 minutes.
Another fundamental difference between an urgent care facility and an emergency room is the cost. Normally, the former will cost just a fraction of what the latter will do. However, in the case of a serious health emergency, patients should visit an emergency room as opposed to an urgent care facility. This is because urgent care facilities are only designed for non-emergent and minor illnesses as well as injuries.
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What are Common Issues Treated at Pediatric Urgent Care?
You may be worried that your toddler is getting sick more often than they used to, but that is not the case. The truth is that children will get sick, especially once they begin school and their immune systems are exposed to health conditions that exist in crowded environments. These conditions may range from common colds, flu, strep throat, ear and sinus infections, pink eye and pneumonia, all of which can be got rid of with a quick trip to pediatric urgent care clinic near you.
Pediatric urgent care clinics can also treat stings and bug bites, allergic reactions, cuts and burns, swallowed objects, sprains, and broken bones and many other conditions as well as injuries.
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10 Ways to Keep Your Kids Out of the Urgent Care
There are many ways to keep children healthy and avoid health problems and emergencies. Simple things such as washing hands, proper hydration and getting enough sleep can go a very long way in ensuring children are healthy. Eating well-balanced diets, managing stress, getting the necessary immunizations and avoiding smokers are great ways for toddlers to avert many conditions.
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How Much Does an Urgent Care Cost?
The cost of urgent care ranges between $75 and $150, depending on the location of a facility. Of course, this applies only to cash-paying patients. The quality and standards of healthcare remain the same across the board though.
However, most facilities will charge between $100 and $125 for treatments without an insurance cover. Do note, however, that this is the base price for the basic services offered by urgent care clinics. It does not include additional services like medication and immunization injections, lab tests, and X-rays. Stitches, sprains and broken bones will also add to the cost of urgent care.
Even patients with an insurance cover will have to make co-payments as opposed to having all the costs billed to their insurer. Normally, the payments will range from $20-50, depending on a patient’s plan and whether they are in network with the provider.
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Is Insurance Accepted At Urgent Care Centers?
Insurance companies determine to cover or not to cover urgent care costs. A patient’s insurance provider may not cover the costs. In that case, the urgent care center will accept nothing except cash. However, in most cases, insurance companies will cover urgent care so that patients do not have to pay much with each visit to a care center.
Sometimes, though very rare, an urgent care center may choose not to accept an insurance cover, even if it covers this type of care. Therefore, it is always best to call and be certain before making a trip to a care center.
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