Urgent Care Visits

Only been to an urgent care once, that was to get tested for covid-19 in 2021…

My personal experience and my family’s experience is that they typically provide substandard care at an inflated price.

I was lucky to find one though, where they actually knew what they were doing.

I fell into a situation with my former employer at the start of the new year in 2022 where, since I was not vaccinated, I had to show proof of a negative covid test each week by going to a place. A home kit would not suffice. So I found a UC place about 15 mins away from home where i went each week on Sundays or sometime Saturdays for 2 ½ months (til i found a much better job that didn't require it). I remember having to have a signed hard copy that I had to scan, and then i think after a while, using the patient portal was acceptable.

Scheduling with them was fairly easy, though they wouldn't let me set up a regular weekly spot in advance. But each week they were accommodating. and it worked out. Though after a few weeks, one of the staff there told me I was taking the wrong test, not covered by my insurance or whatever, and that I might be getting billed for them. Then they had me take a different test which would be sent out and I wouldn't hear back for a few days, which was covered. In the end, i never had to pay any money luckily, because it didn't seem like my employer would pick up the tab.

But the staff there were very friendly and made the hassle somewhat pleasant, even though getting swabbed deep into my nose wasn't that pleasant. The place had 4 rooms you could possibly be brought into, and especially at that time, rooms had to be extra disinfected between patients. But they had managed to be efficient in doing that.

I go to the urgent care that's run by the local hospital system (and physically located inside their clinic). I haven't gone much since I was younger, usually for stuff like strep tests, anything too mild for the ER but too time sensitive for scheduling an appointment a month out at best, lol

I used to work for one of the better ones, and I'll be honest, I would much rather see my primary. I've seen how the sausage is made so to speak in both offices, and I know which one I prefer. Also doesn't help the urgent care I used to work at is in really hot water with the feds for Medicare fraud among other things. Not as in slap on the wrist hot water, as in full criminal trial in federal court hot water.