Urgent Care and Walk-In Clinic in Chattanooga, TN

Emergency Rooms are notorious for long wait times and high cost healthcare.  Likewise, it often takes days to get in to see a primary care physician or specialist. Today in America the average cost of an urgent care visit is $100 compared to an emergency room average cost of $500.  (Many Emergency Department Visits Could be Managed at Urgent Care Centers and Retail Clinics. Weinick R., Burns, R. and Mehrotra, A. Health Affairs, 29, no 9, (2010) 1630-1636.)(Media health plans)  AFC Urgent Care provides a convenient, high quality, cost-effective alternative for your health care needs.  Top quality certified medical professionals operate our Walk-In Clinics, with a doctor always on-site.  Our patients can be confident that they’re getting the highest level of care that fits their schedule, 7 days a week.

Urgent Care

AFC Urgent Care locations are staffed by high quality doctors and nurses, who are prepared to care for you. Each clinic is equipped with state of the art digital x-rays, robust lab testing, and a physician always on staff. At AFC no appointment is needed; we are open 7 days a week with extended hours every day. Our Walk-In Clinic performs most of the same services that you would find at an emergency room or at a primary care doctor’s office and we are well equipped to handle most non-life threatening health problems. The clinics are designed to provide patients service in the timeliest manner, while maintaining the highest level of medical expertise.

Emergency room

An emergency room can provide you with any kind of medical attention you need, but before you head to the ER, you might consider wait time, cost, and urgency. According to the emergency medical treatment and labor act of 1986, emergency rooms must provide care to all patients even if their condition is not life threatening. Emergency rooms treat people according to how severe their condition is, which means that you could potentially wait for hours to be treated, only to be shuffled out the door after being seen for only a few minutes. Not to mention the misery of sitting in an overcrowded room full of sick strangers for hours on end. The average non-life threatening emergency room visit is currently over 4 hours. (2010 Emergency Department Pulse Report: Patient Perspectives on American Health Care). If you have a condition that requires immediate medical attention but is not life threatening, like sprains, fractures and cuts that need stitches, urgent care clinics are the ideal place to seek treatment. Urgent care facilities have lower prices, shorter wait times, and walk-in are welcome.

Retail clinics

There are also retail clinics found in drugstores, supermarkets, and some retailers. These retail clinics are usually staffed by mid-level providers (nurse practitioners or physician assistant) not physicians, and have a relatively limited number of services they can provide patients. A retail clinic may be able to provide treatment for common illnesses, vaccinations, and other simple ailments; however they typically are not equipped to handle urgent medical needs. Retail clinics do not provide the same expertise, quality, and variety of care as an urgent care center or emergency room. Due to these factors, a retail clinic may not be able to treat your condition and may refer you to an urgent care center.

Urgent Care Walk-In Clinic or Emergency Room?

The first question you should ask yourself when you have a health problem is: why you need medical attention. Could your condition cause you permanent injury? Could your injury possibly damage one of your organs? Could your injury potentially be life threatening? Do you need to see a specialist? If the answer was yes to any of those, you should seek medical attention at your nearest emergency room.  If the answer was no- urgent care centers are most likely perfect solution.  AFC Urgent Care Walk-In Clinics are open year round with late evening and weekend hours. Our locations provide a quick convenient alternative for your healthcare needs.

How long does it take to be seen at AFC Urgent Care versus an ER?

AFC Urgent Care treats their patients in the order that they arrive.  As mentioned earlier, Emergency rooms treat people according to how severe their condition is, which means that you could potentially wait for hours to even be seen. At AFC Urgent Care you can walk-in with peace of mind that we strive to have every patient in and out in under an hour.

How much does it cost at AFC Urgent Care visit versus the Emergency Room?

We are always upfront about our prices.  Whether you have insurance or not, the quote or co-pay you receive is exactly what you’ll be billed. Unlike a visit to the emergency room, there aren’t any billing surprises with urgent care. When you go to the emergency room, you may deal with specialists employed by the hospital. These specialists have to negotiate with your insurance separately, making it more likely that your bill will be larger than expected. Even if the hospital is in your insurance network, you may also end up receiving treatment from a doctor that is not in your insurance network.

Urgent cares provides customers with low co-pays and procedure costs since they do not have to claim “emergent care”, with an average 80% savings. (2010 health policy survey in eleven countries. Schoen. C, and Osborn. R. The commonwealth fund.)(Media Health Plans)

Insurance companies use something called the PLS (Prudent Layperson Standard) to decide how necessary a trip to the emergency room is and just how much they will pay. The PLS considers a person with an average knowledge of medicine and health and if a medical condition would seem like a medical emergency to them. If after you go to the ER, and using the PLS, the insurance company decides emergency treatment was not needed, they may cover only a small portion of the bill or you may have to pay the entire bill out of your own pocket. Since urgent care is not emergency treatment, insurance companies do not use the PLS and will help pay as if it were a normal doctor’s visit, ensuring that your bill and expenses stay at a reasonable amount.

Urgent care centers offer greater breadth of services and accessibility, yet the average cost of an urgent care visit is slightly below that of a primary care visit.-$155 compared to $165. Urgent care centers also strive to have patients in and out in under an hour whereas primary care on average takes 29 days for an appointment. (Many Emergency Department Visits Could be Managed at Urgent Care Centers and Retail Clinics. Weinick R., Burns, R. and Mehrotra, A. Health Affairs, 29, no 9, (2010) 1630-1636.)(2009 Merrit Hawkins Study) (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/03/business/economy/high-end-medical-care.html?_r=1)

Although retail clinics have a relatively low cost, depending on your condition, treatment required, and services desired, you might be referred to another healthcare provider. If this happens, you will have to pay for the visit to the retail clinic as well as the doctor you are referred to. Urgent care clinics are well equipped and staffed with professionals prepared to make your visit a one-stop-shop trip.

Health conditions treated

Although there is no all-inclusive list of injury or illnesses, let’s take a look to get an idea of what might be considered for urgent care versus what may call for a trip to the emergency room.

What are some examples of conditions that require a trip to the emergency room?

• Severe abdominal pain
• Difficulty breathing, wheezing, or shortness of breath
• Severe chest pain
• Moderate to severe skin burns
• Allergic reactions
• High fevers or rash, especially among children and newborns (less than 3 months old)
• Heavy, uncontrollable bleeding
• Intestinal bleeding
• Poisoning
• Paralysis in all or part of the body
• Unconsciousness
• Pregnancy-related problems
• Severe heart palpitations
• Severe head, neck, back, or eye injuries
• Badly broken bones and compound fractures (bone protrudes through skin)
• Deep knife wounds or gunshot wounds
• Loss of a limb
• Convulsions or seizures (especially without a previous diagnosis of epilepsy)
• Sudden vision changes (such as blurred vision, double vision, or full or partial loss of vision)
• Signs of a heart attack or stroke

What are some conditions suited for treatment at an urgent care clinic?

• Fevers
• Flu or cold symptoms
• Sore throat or cough
• Ear infections
• Bronchitis
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Animal or insect bites
• Seasonal allergies
• Eye irritation and redness
• Abdominal pain
• Minor back pain
• Sprains and strains
• Minor broken bones and fractures
• Cuts and bleeding that may require stitches
• Breathing discomfort, such as moderate asthma
• X-rays and lab tests
• Urinary tract infections
• Skin rashes and infections
• Work place injuries
• Occupational medicine
• Work Physicals
• Sports Physicals
• Vaccinations

If you believe that the situation is life threatening, do not hesitate to call 911. Remember that in some cases, immediate medical care can mean the difference between life and death. However, if your situation is non-life threatening, remember that urgent care may be your best option instead.

1. CDC, National Hospital Ambulatory edical Care Survey’s Emergency Department summary).