Urgent care has been here for a long time, but not many Americans use it. They preferred going to the regular ER. However, things are changing now.
More people care about their health and want better value for their money. That’s why urgent care is becoming more popular.
Urgent care centers aim to give good care that’s easy to access and not too expensive. This makes them a strong competitor to ERs and primary care doctors.
Why the Urgent Care Industry Is Growing
The Urgent Care industry is growing because of a few important reasons.
First, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) made healthcare providers look for new ways to give good care without spending too much revenue. This pushed them to think about new ways to help people, and one of those ways was urgent care.
Second, urgent care places are open for longer hours than regular doctor offices. They also cost less than going to the emergency room. This makes it easier for people to get the care they need.
Because of these reasons, urgent care centers are becoming a common choice for regular healthcare. In fact, the Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA) says there are now 9,300 urgent care centers in the country, and more are opening all the time.
What Do Urgent Care Centers Offer?
Urgent care centers give you quick help and save you expenses. They work like a hospital emergency room. They can do X-rays, fix broken bones, run tests, and treat wounds. There’s always a doctor and nurse there, and sometimes, they have nurse practitioners or physician assistants.
Now, let’s talk about the low cost. Going to an Immediate care clinic in Algonquin costs around $80 on average. But if you go to your regular doctor, it’s about $130. And if you end up in the emergency room, you might pay as much as $650!
Urgent Care: Growing Fast in Healthcare
Experts say immediate care is getting bigger. They think it will be worth $18 billion by 2017, which is almost 40% more. Many private equity firms are buying immediate care centers all over the country. Hospitals and health systems are doing the same. For example, in 2012, Dignity Health bought U.S. HealthWorks.
Insurance companies are also interested. WellPoint, for instance, has invested in Physicians Immediate Care.
Continued Demand for immediate care
What will happen to the need for urgent medical help in local areas? And how will this affect the emergency room? Changes in healthcare laws and new ways of paying for healthcare will likely influence how quickly this area grows, but no one knows exactly how. Some experts think that around 26 million more people who aren’t elderly will have health insurance by 2017. This could mean that there won’t be enough primary care doctors – maybe as many as 53,000 short. Plus, the population is getting older (we’re looking at you, baby boomers), which will make more people want other types of medical care.
Getting Paid for Urgent Care
More people need urgent care, so doctors need to make sure they make enough revenue. Right now, they get paid a fixed amount for every visit, which is the same for everyone. But this is not how doctors and hospitals get paid. Urgent care centers will make more reimbursement if they see different types of patients and work out good deals for their fees.
Role Of Healthcare Audit
Urgent care is gaining popularity in Value-Based Care because it offers quick and cost-effective healthcare solutions. In this model, healthcare providers are rewarded for delivering high-quality care efficiently, making urgent care centers attractive due to their streamlined services and reduced costs compared to emergency rooms. Medical billing audit companies play a pivotal role in this scenario by ensuring accurate coding and documentation. They help maintain the financial health of urgent care facilities while aligning with the value-based care approach, which prioritizes efficient and effective healthcare delivery while controlling costs.
The Future of Urgent Care Medicine
Right now, there are 20,000 doctors working in urgent care medicine, and that number is going up. Urgent care medicine is becoming a more important part of the medical world.
Young doctors training in fields like Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, and Emergency Medicine are also learning about Urgent Care Medicine. As this field gets bigger, we’ll see more training programs just for Urgent Care Medicine.
We will also see more places and organizations recognizing and accepting Board Certification in Urgent Care Medicine. Many insurance companies, like Cigna and Aetna, accept Urgent Care Accreditation from the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine.
Because of these certifications and training programs, and because more doctors, nurses, and medical assistants are choosing to specialize in urgent care, walk-in clinics are becoming much better. They will keep improving healthcare for a long time.
Conclusion
- Urgent care is gaining popularity due to a shift toward value-based care and healthcare consumerism.
- Urgent care centers offer convenient, affordable care, competing with both ERs and primary care physicians.
- The urgent care industry is rapidly growing, with projections of a 40% increase in market value by 2017.
- Private equity firms, hospitals, and payers are investing in urgent care centers.
- Increased demand for urgent care is expected due to healthcare reform, population aging, and a shortage of primary care physicians.
