When it’s time to go to the doctor, there are some general things to consider:

• Severity of your illness or medical need

• Availability of your provider, their business hours, etc.

• Cost to you

• Your medical insurance

Keeping the above factors in mind, you have many options to choose from when it comes to seeking out your own healthcare.

Urgent Care

• Usually located in a clinic or hospital
• Offers “after-hours” care, no appointment needed
• More cost effective than the emergency room
• Typical waiting time to be seen is less than in an emergency room
• Not equipped to handle life threatening situations
  
• Handle cases which require immediate attention where delaying treatment could cause serious problems or discomfort, such as ear infections, sprains, vomiting, etc.
  

Emergency Rooms

• Typically for emergency situations defined as “a condition that may cause loss of life, permanent or severe disability if it isn’t treated”
• Cost is typically 5 – 7 times more expensive than your doctor’s office
• No appointment needed
  

Outpatient Hospital Care

• Receiving treatment from a care facility without staying overnight
• Certain procedures can be done in this setting, some cannot
• Less expensive than an overnight hospital stay

Inpatient Hospital Care

• Receiving treatment that requires an overnight stay in a hospital
• More expensive than outpatient treatment

Nurse Lines

• Resources offered by some health plans to help you verify your healthcare decisions. Contact your insurance company so see if this is offered.
• They can help determine what type of care you may want to seek.
• Here are a few:
  

HealhPartners

BlueCross of MN

PreferredOne

Medica

Your Doctor’s Office

• Offers care only during business hours
• Appointment needed
  

“Retail Clinics” or “Instant Clinics”

• Typically charge less for common medical office visits such as bug bites, vaccinations, sports physicals, pink eye or strep throat.
• Typically located in retail shopping centers such as Cub Foods, Target stores or CVS Pharmacies
• No appointment needed
• Typically take most insurance plans, however it is wise to call your health plan and verify if a specific retail clinic is part of your covered benefit.
• Common Minnesota “retail health clinics”:
  

MinuteClinic

NowCare

Target Clinic

What this means for YOU:

There are many options when it comes to where to go for healthcare. It’s important to find the facility that can best provide the services that fit your needs. Take the time now to research the options in your local area, so you can make an informed decision before the need arises.