When and why you should choose Urgent Care for medical treatment

Today more than ever, Americans have choices when it comes to healthcare. With many options to choose from, many consumers are still unclear about what healthcare choice is the best option for their specific medical need. Here is a guide to help inform you on where to go when the need arises.

Urgent Care Clinics – Urgent care clinics provide on-demand healthcare for all non-life-threatening and non-chronic medical conditions, such as cold/flu, allergy treatment, sprains and fractures, minor vehicle accidents, and many more medical conditions. Walk-in medical centers also offer a variety of other healthcare services such as school and DOT physicals, lab tests, STD testing, COVID-19 testing, immunizations, and X-Rays. When you need immediate medical treatment for non-life-threatening conditions or having trouble getting an appointment, just “walk-in” and receive care.

Primary Care Clinics – Primary care is focused on preventative medicine and providing treatment of chronic disease and conditions. These health care centers treat high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Providers also offer yearly health screenings and write prescriptions for medications for pain or depression. At times, appointments with your primary care provider will be scheduled several days to several weeks in advance.

Emergency Rooms – If you are experiencing a life-threatening medical emergency, head straight to the nearest hospital ER room or standalone center. These centers are open 24/7, doctors and specialists are always available, and they have the advanced equipment necessary for life-saving measures. NOTE: The cost of care to visit an ER for non-life-threatening conditions will be significantly higher than urgent care.

Prime Urgent Care is your go-to medical center for quick, affordable, and convenient healthcare in the Houston, TX area. Our centers in Pearland, Missouri City, and Sugar Land are open 7 days a week –Weekdays from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Monday to Friday), and Weekends from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Prime Urgent Care accepts the most major insurance plans (including Medicare/Medicaid) while offering some of the lowest self-pay rates in Houston. We also offer online check-in and Telemedicine services.

To check-in online, visit our website: https://primeuc.com/ or call (713) 3403111.

Quick guide on what healthcare provider to visit based on your medical condition

The table below is a brief list of conditions to help you understand when it is best to visit Prime Urgent Care based on your specific healthcare need:

Advantages of Urgent Care

There are several specific advantages to choosing an urgent care center for your medical needs:

a. Convenient hours – Prime Urgent Care centers are open every day of the week and open late on weekdays. Primary care clinics, on the other hand, are usually only open on weekdays and close around 5 or 6p. Prime Urgent Care centers also offer services like online check-in and Telemedicine/Telehealth options to provide urgent care services as quickly and easily as possible for patients.

b. Timely treatment – – Prime Urgent Care centers provide immediate, same day treatment on a first come first-serve basis and do not require an appointment. In some cases, it might take several days to get an appointment, so when you cannot wait for treatment Prime Urgent Care centers are the preferred healthcare option – just “walk-in”.

c. Various on-demand services – Urgent care medicine has components of emergency and family medicine. When you walk into a Prime Urgent Care center, you can trust that all medical providers have the expertise, extensive knowledge, and technology to treat an array of conditions. In addition, our walk-in clinics also offer X-rays, STD screenings, medication refills, and various lab & diagnostic testing (including COVID-19 Rapid PCR/Antigen) with quick turnaround times for results.

d. Lower self-pay rates – Many times, whether you have health insurance or not, you can save by asking for self-pay rates on most services. Prime Urgent Care offers competitive self-pay rates on services they provide, and offers some of the lowest visit and X-Ray rates in the greater Houston area. Do your research and make sure you are clear about all medical charges up front so there are no surprises on your bill at checkout. It is also important to keep in mind that ER rates are usually 10x higher than urgent care rates, so only visit an ER for life-threatening emergencies.

What Else Can an Urgent Care Doctor Do for You?

There is a wide array of additional services available to you at Prime Urgent Care beyond what was listed above, including vaccinations, preventative health services, and physicals (school, sports, DOT).

Some of these additional services include:

 Flu tests

 Urinalysis

 Urine Pregnancy

 COVID-19 (Rapid PCR & Antigen)

 HIV screenings

 Pre-employment drug testing

Get Timely and Cost-Effective Care at Prime Urgent Care

Prime Urgent Care is your go-to medical center for quick, affordable, and convenient healthcare in the Houston, TX area. We treat urgent non-lifethreatening conditions for people of all ages; from children aged as little as three months old to senior citizens. Our state-of-the-art medical centers are equipped with advanced technology which, coupled with our doctors’ extensive knowledge and expertise, provide diagnosis and treatment for an array of acute injuries and illnesses in children and adults.

At Prime Urgent Care, our goal is to provide timely and quality care to everyone who walks through our clinic doors. Take advantage of our online

check-in option so you can wait your turn in the comfort of your own home. We also offer telemedicine options so you can still receive high quality healthcare without even leaving your home.

Prime Urgent Care accepts the most significant insurance plans while offering some of the lowest self-pay rates in Houston. Our clinics in Pearland, Missouri City, and Sugar Land are open 7 days a week – Weekdays from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Monday to Friday), and Weekends from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Source: https://primeuc.com/blog/urgent-care-vs-primary-care/