Urgent Care … Big Savings

Any time you feel your life is in danger, the emergency room is best equipped to handle your care. However, if you need medical care quickly but your condition is not life-threatening, there are alternative places to seek medical treatment.

Nextran’s recent claims data shows over 30 emergency room visits from January through May of 2009. Additionally, some participants have visited the emergency room multiple times. These visits may have all required emergency care. However, some of these visits may have occurred because the person’s regular physician was unavailable at the time of need (e.g., sickness during the weekend) and the person didn’t know where else to go for care. Should you find yourself in need of timely medical care for conditions that are not emergencies, consider an urgent care center.

Urgent Care Advantages

Type of care

Urgent care centers are designed to treat non-life-threatening conditions that need medical attention. Examples include: fractures, sprains, fevers, lacerations, sore throats and ear infections.

Costs

Services performed in the emergency room are billed at higher rates than services performed at urgent care centers for treating the same conditions.

According to the president of the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine “as a rule of thumb, [urgent care centers cost] one-third to one-half that of an emergency room visit.1” Other sources estimate the costs of treating sprains, influenza, minor lacerations and migraine headaches at urgent care centers to cost, on average $110-$150 whereas emergency rooms range from $550 - $750 for treatment of the same conditions2.

Convenience

There are many urgent care centers in the Cigna network. We have attached a list of such centers within a 50 mile radius of the Nextran store. Many centers are open 7 days a week with extended evening and weekend hours. Generally, no appointments are necessary (and some centers will accept a “call ahead” check-in.)

It is your decision whether or not to visit the emergency room. However, educating you on your options is part of our responsibility.

1Savings on Care: Emergency Rooms vs. Urgent Care Facilities. September, 2008 at

2Average Urgent Care and Emergency Room Pricing. Aetna Strategic Contract Manager September, 2008. Actual costs may vary.