What do you think of "urgent care" options? (Brighton: transporting, college)
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I just had an interview with CityMD and I have been to one of there centers because my daughter was sick. I was in and out in about an hour. Even if I don't get the position I interviewed for I would recommend anyone to go to an Urgent Care center before the ER.
Urgent Care centers can be great in certain situations. Say you wake up with a bad sinus infection and need antibiotics right away...citymd is a very quick way to get some care, whether you have insurance or not.
The trouble with these places is that the scope of what they can do for you really ends at prescribing antibiotics and taking some blood. If anything beyond a certain point is wrong with you, you'll have to see a real doctor or ER anyway.
No one seems to mention that 80 dollar cost even if you have insurance.
Can't pay that fee, no see doctor.
They are mostly in low income neighborhoods as far as I can see, just another mining operation with poor people as the targets.
A new one just opened in my neighborhood on Third Ave nearest 89th St. Partner went in and asked if they took his insurance (Medicare Advantage (UHC.) The answer was YES but at the specialist co-pay rate ($20.)
If I cut my hand and need a couple stiches, this is good for me. (I double my GP even knows now to put in a stitch anymore.)
No one seems to mention that 80 dollar cost even if you have insurance.
Can't pay that fee, no see doctor.
They are mostly in low income neighborhoods as far as I can see, just another mining operation with poor people as the targets.
There are lots of urgent care centers in expensive suburbs like Westchester.
Your conspiracy theory is misplaced.
To the OP - the public have been abusing and misusing Emergency Rooms for years with non-emergency nonsense- the urgent care centers take off the heat and let people with actual emergencies get seen sooner at the ER.
Urgent Care centers can be great in certain situations. Say you wake up with a bad sinus infection and need antibiotics right away...citymd is a very quick way to get some care, whether you have insurance or not.
The trouble with these places is that the scope of what they can do for you really ends at prescribing antibiotics and taking some blood. If anything beyond a certain point is wrong with you, you'll have to see a real doctor or ER anyway.
That's not the trouble, that's the point. The ER doesn't get clogged up with non-ER stuff.
I don't know what you mean by real doctor - the doctors in urgent care centers are... doctors.
Urgent Care centers can be great in certain situations. Say you wake up with a bad sinus infection and need antibiotics right away...citymd is a very quick way to get some care, whether you have insurance or not.
The trouble with these places is that the scope of what they can do for you really ends at prescribing antibiotics and taking some blood. If anything beyond a certain point is wrong with you, you'll have to see a real doctor or ER anyway.
The urgent care I went to, I had to have a huge argument with the doctor to get an antibiotics prescription -- even with the description of -- sick for 10 days, fever comes and goes, other symptoms, etc. she absolutely refused to write it for me. She had the gall to write me an Rx for prednisone, which would not have helped my condition and has *very* strong and unpleasant side effects, and then when I refused to leave without the antibiotics (three times I said this), she finally gave in but ONLY if I "agreed to accept the RISK" of antibiotics. Meanwhile I'm thinking... you're giving me prednisone without one word about side effects and now you're saying this?
I understand doctors are not supposed to prescribe antibiotics for the common cold, and maybe that's what she determined I had, but the whole thing with the prednisone was totally uncalled for. Also if she had bothered to ask me, I am not one of those patients on antibiotics all the time -- maybe take it once every three to four years. So I can't be one of the ones contributing to the "overuse" issue.
Also she had the gall to tell me I could try the stuff she wanted to give me and come back in three days if I'm not better. I said "I'm not paying another $90 to come back in three days" and she told me I wouldn't have to pay it...insurance, etc. I said OF COURSE I WILL HAVE TO PAY. My insurance charges me around $90 for any urgent care visit.
She was an idiot. And I won't go back there again. However, I will go back to another place with decent reviews if I ever have a similar urgent issue. I think it's a great service, especially when getting a same-day appt with my regular doctor is difficult.
I only paid a $20 co-pay for my urgent center visit and got stitches. If I went to ER my copay would of been way more and the wait would of been longer.
They came to NYC later than some cities, and I find them perturbing, because they're a sign that the public is being failed both by their own doctors and by hospitals ERs. (It reminds me of Fedex, which only exists because the postal system was failing.)
I'd been thinking about it particularly after this article about all the heathcare advertising, and it's certainly true that hospitals are advertising up a storm.
The health care industry spent $14 billion on advertising in 2014, according to Kantar Media, a jump of nearly 20 percent since 2011.
Ask Your Doctor if This Ad Is Right for You
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
I don't see it as a sign of failure. I think they fill a niche have been an overall plus to healthcare industry. It might become harder to staff emergency rooms though in the future.
No one seems to mention that 80 dollar cost even if you have insurance.
Can't pay that fee, no see doctor.
They are mostly in low income neighborhoods as far as I can see, just another mining operation with poor people as the targets.
As long as I stay in network I have zero copay/EOB balance. Some UC also have a sliding scale for the uninsured or low income. Someone I know just paid $5 upfront with the prevision he may receive further bills and could work out a payment schedule, if needed. After 6 weeks without receiving anything further he reached out to their billing department. There was no balance due. The UC also prescribed a cheap yet effective medication that only cost $5 at the pharmacy.
Not all urgent care centers are in lower income areas, in fact, it's my experience they're far more frequent in "better" areas. I was just at the WestMed Urgent Care in Rye which is certainly not a low income area.
I think they are a great option. My family has used them twice so far. Dad had a large splinter in his lower back from a hand rail and Mom was diagnosed with pneumonia. Both times they were in and out in under an hour. That included wait time, x-rays and treatment. I believe they had the standard doctor visit co-pays. If they had gone to the ER, it would have been at least 3-4 hours or more for each visit, and the hospital co-pay.
A local hospital just opened one in walking distance from my house. It may be best to research your local centers in advance to see if any have problems and to make sure they accept your insurance.
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