Avoid Medical Debt: Know Your Options

Inflation, spending and debt are some of the financial stresses currently on the minds of Americans. But your healthcare needs are expenses that may occur unexpectedly. For instance, you may have a minor accident and need to seek medical attention on short notice. Should you go to an urgent care or an ER?

A study done by the New England Health Institute found that 56% of emergency room visits were “totally avoidable.” It didn’t say how much of the remaining 44% could have been treated at urgent care centers, but several studies suggest many of these cases could have been handled in urgent care.

Thus, the decision to receive treatment at an emergency room is one of the many factors that cause Americans to have medical debt, which happens to be the No. 1 cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. Some of the debt problems could be avoided if people knew more about emergency rooms, urgent care centers and walk-in clinics and how they serve those in need of medical attention. SOURCE: Debt.org, Read more HERE

Urgent Care vs. Emergency Room

The generally agreed upon guidelines for deciding between an emergency room and urgent care center are: If you have a minor condition – fever, flu symptoms, allergic reactions, minor cuts, bites, broken bones – urgent care centers are a far better choice for time and cost. If you have an extreme medical condition – stroke, heart attack, severe burns, electrical shock – the resources and services available at hospital emergency rooms make that a far better choice.