Cheap clinic for pink eye? Missed insurance deadline (cost of, health)

[shanen]

So our child appears to be coming down with pink eye. We missed the 12/15 deadline for 1/1 insurance coverage and are uninsured until 2/1. Of course our kid would need a doc visit days before insurance starts...

Any suggestions on where to go to basically have a doc look at the eye and get us a prescription without us having to hand over hundreds of dollars for the 10min visit?

[beezle1]

I would call a few urgent care places and see if they will give you an idea of cost over the phone. Or maybe even an optometrist?

[hollyt00]

How about places like the Little Clinic at King Soopers?

[otowi]

CDC website says not all cases of pink eye need medical treatment.
"Most cases of pink eye are mild and get better without treatment. However, severe cases need to be looked at by a healthcare professional and may require specific treatment and close follow-up. If you have pink eye, you should see your healthcare professional if you have:

Moderate to severe pain in your eye(s)
Blurred vision or increased sensitivity to light
Intense redness in the eye(s)
A weakened immune system, for example from HIV or cancer treatment
Bacterial pink eye that does not improve after 24 hours of antibiotic use
Symptoms that get worse or don't improve
Pre-existing eye conditions that may put you at risk for complications or severe infection
If the affected person is a newborn"

A website I just read says (Cost of Pink Eye Treatment - Consumer Information) the Little Clinic at King Soopers charges $79 for pink eye visits plus a possible additional $23 pink eye lab test fee and presumably additional for any prescribed treatments that require a purchase, but you could call to confirm.

[shanen]

Wow, you guys are awesome. Thank you so much for the information!

[Kar54]

For future reference, Walgreen's has walk-in clinics as well. More general care clinics seem to be popping up all over town. With the cost of healthcare, that's probably a good thing.

[shanen]

We ended up going to the Little Clinic at the Centennial King Soopers. Paid $83 for the visit, and $4 for an antibiotic eye ointment for future reference.

Thanks again for all of the help!