Can You Make an Appointment at Urgent Care?
If you or your child have symptoms that are acute enough to seek immediate care but not so severe that you...
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Alabama has about 1.2 million adults with obesity. In fact, according to America's Healthcare Rankings, 33 percent of the population was considered obese in 2011. This along with other healthcare issues including smoking, chronic diseases such as diabetes, and a high infant mortality rate, the state carries an unfortunately low ranking in most national healthcare statistics, ranking at least 41st out of 50 in the top six categories.
There are very few urgent care centers in the state. In fact, this is one of the main problems that Alabama faces when it comes to getting quality medical care. In 2012 there were about 80 preventable hospitalizations per 1000 people discharged from emergency rooms. Many of those who seek emergency care would be better helped at an urgent care center. Urgent care centers are equipped to help those with illnesses or injuries that are not life-threatening.
Luckily, Alabama has a number of walk-in clinics for patients who need to be seen the same day. These clinics allow patients to get care for mild to moderate injuries and illnesses. In addition, some walk-in clinics in the state offer help to those who need primary care physicians. About 15 percent of the population of the state is uninsured, and having access to the more cost-effective option of a walk-in clinic is essential.
There are a number of factors that lead to Alabama being ranked 45th in the country for healthcare. In addition to the high percentage of adults with obesity, about 24 percent of adults also smoke, leading to health problems. As people experience injury or sickness that needs to be addressed immediately, they have few options available to them. Some of this is due to the rural nature of the state, as well as the lack of sufficient urgent care facilities.
Specific urgent care and walk-in clinic services available in may include STD testing flu shots, school physicals and many other valuable services
The price charged at an urgent care, whether in Alabama 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 Alabama 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 Alabama urgent care center that offers advanced bookings (or appointments) and book online.
Solv allows Alabama 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 Alabama, 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 Alabama, 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 Alabama, '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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