It’s happening around the nation – small retail medical clinics are opening up in major retail chain stores. The driving reason for this is demand for convenience and lower cost care.
Hospitals are getting into the act and helping to open up these locations while doctors appear to be less than enthusiastic about them.
The bottom line is that you can benefit by going to these retail clinics. Here’s how:
Lower Charges for Services Compared to visits to a doctor’s office, you can save over 50%. In one city where a doctor’s office visit was $109 and a trip to the urgent care center cost $120, the charge for the same visit to a retail medical clinic was only $44.
Quicker Service One of the biggest advantages of going to these clinics is that the service is quicker than going to an emergency room and sitting for hours while you wait to be examined by a doctor. Emergency rooms must treat those with injuries that cannot wait, so there is no telling how long your wait will be. But not so at a retail medical clinic.
Convenient Locations Going grocery shopping, but have a bad cough that needs attention? Stop by the retail medical clinic first thing to get it looked at, then finish shopping. Some people might have difficulty combining the two, and others might question the practice of going out in public with maladies that can be passed around so freely, but consider that it is happening now anyway. In fact, because the services are less expensive, those who might not otherwise go to the doctor because of cost could find these a more welcome alternative.
What you need to be aware of is that these clinics do not offer major medical assistance. You will be able to get a sore throat looked at, or flu-like symptoms and a shot, but anything major will have to be taken to a hospital emergency room.
While some doctors have expressed reservations about these small clinics, others are beginning to realize that they have to begin to offer more consumer friendly hours so that they can keep their patients satisfied with their services. All of a sudden, a consumer aspect is being added to medical services, which is ultimately good for patients. As we look for more options that will help us bring costs down, this certainly fits the bill as it brings competition and convenience to the market.
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