| Perhaps you have seen the advertisements on | | | | emergency room? The fact, is that the vast |
| your TV for a local urgent care clinic and | | | | majority of hospital emergency room visits are |
| wondered how it differed form a hospital | | | | by people who are in a non life threatening |
| emergency room if it differed at all. The truth, is | | | | medical emergency situation. |
| that while there are many differences there are | | | | Cost Considerations |
| at the same time a good number of similarities. | | | | Also, as far as costs are concerned, they for the |
| A Few Differences | | | | most part cheaper to visit then a hospital |
| One difference is that hospitals are equipped to | | | | emergency room. For instance, if a person were |
| handle both emergency and non emergency | | | | to cut their finger and the wound would require |
| medical situations. On the other hand these urgent | | | | some stitches, they would be charged only for |
| care clinics are basically equipped to handle | | | | the treatment of the cut at an urgent care clinic. |
| emergency medical situations only. | | | | No Emergency Room Visit Charge |
| Non Life Threatening Medical Emergencies | | | | However; at a hospital emergency room they |
| However; it must be noted that while urgent care | | | | would be charged not only for the treatment of |
| clinics do handle only emergencies these would be | | | | the cut but also an added charge, often adding |
| non life threatening medical emergencies that don't | | | | several hundred dollars to their bill would be added |
| run the risk of complications. | | | | just because they visited the emergency room of |
| An Adequate Alternative | | | | the hospital. |
| So how well do they replace the standard hospital | | | | |