Things You Might Not Know About Pasadena Urgent Care Clinics
Urgent Care clinics (also called “walk-in clinics”) have begun to pop up all over Pasadena, and that’s good news for people looking for affordable healthcare! Pasadena urgent care clinics are a great alternative to traditional doctor’s offices and hospitals in many situations, offering faster visits and much lower costs.
However, it seems like a lot of people don’t know all that much about walk-in clinics. It’s no surprise since they’ve only started to become prominent in the last few years. So, in this article, we wanted to discuss some misconceptions and other things people might not know.
That way, you’ll be fully informed the next time you have a medical issue and you’re not sure where to go!
Eight Things Everyone Should Know About Pasadena Urgent Care
1 – Urgent care is not emergency care
This is important to know. Urgent care clinics can treat a wide variety of issues, but they are not capable of caring for genuine life-threatening emergencies. If someone has been shot, has a heart attack or stroke, or otherwise is genuinely at risk of death, they still need to go to the Emergency Room at a hospital.
However, walk-in clinics can usually take care of almost any other medical issue you might have.
2 – Most urgent care clinics are open seven days a week
Don’t worry if you have a medical problem on the weekends! Nearly all walk-in clinics are open every day of the week, and usually on holidays as well. That said, they are rarely open around the clock. So, you’ll want to check the posted operating hours for your local clinic to make sure you arrive when they are available.
3 – The most common complaints at walk-in clinics are related to nose, throat, and respiratory issues
When people have a cold, flu, or other respiratory infection, they’re likely to come to an urgent care clinic. These clinics almost always have facilities for disease testing, so they can quickly identify what kind of infection a person has.
If you’ve got a cough, sore throat, or other “flu-like” symptoms, your local walk-in clinic is a great place to start when you’re seeking treatment.
4 – Urgent care clinics have numerous rooms
A recent industry study we saw revealed that the average walk-in clinic has seven different patient rooms. That’s good news for you! Clinics can streamline their process so that more patients can be seen at once, by having so many available rooms at once time. They can ensure more people get care, with a minimum of wait times.
In pretty much any circumstance, you’re going to be seen at a walk-in clinic more quickly than if you go to a hospital or ER. It’s a great choice if you’re pressed for time.
5 – Walk-in clinics still make appointments
“Walk-in clinics” let you walk in without an appointment, but you can still make appointments if you want to. This is particularly convenient if you need to fit a visit into a busy schedule, such as taking your child to the clinic after school but without disrupting their other activities. Making an appointment will further minimize your wait, and speed up the process!
6 – You can get prescriptions at urgent care clinics
Nearly all Pasadena walk-in clinics have at least one doctor on staff with prescription-writing privileges. So, if you have an infection that needs medication, you can get the prescription right on-site. This is particularly helpful for people who have chronic illnesses that require constant medication, such as diabetes.
Many clinics (but not all) even have a pharmacy on-site, so they can be your one-stop shop for all your non-emergency medical needs.
7 – You don’t need insurance, but it’s probably accepted
Another hallmark of Pasadena urgent care clinics is that they don’t require you to have insurance to get care. They’ll see anyone who walks in the door and offer fair affordable prices on the services you receive.
However, if you do have insurance, you probably want to make use of it. So, most clinics do accept common types of insurance, and some are even part of PPO networks. Check their website; they should have a list of what insurance types they can accept.
8 – Urgent care is affordable!
How affordable is a visit to a walk-in clinic? Generally speaking, the prices are one-tenth what the same services would cost when billed by a hospital. Even without insurance, the average cost of a visit is less than $150. If you can’t pay that out-of-pocket, they will undoubtedly offer generous payment plans.
Urgent care clinics want everyone to be able to afford quality healthcare!
So, the next time you’re having a non-emergency medical issue, don’t waste time and money at a hospital. Contact and visit your local Pasadena urgent care clinic today!
