The next time you get sick, don’t even bother calling your doctor or heading to the emergency room. You probably won’t reach your doctor if you catch the flu over the weekend, because less than 30% of doctors actually offer after hours care. And at the ER, your emergency will likely be less important than several other patients’, and you’ll have to wait for hours.

Instead, consider looking up urgent care centers in your area. These are medical facilities that are open beyond normal business hours, seven days a week. There are even some clinics that offer 24 hour urgent care.

Here are some of the other benefits of urgent care centers.

• Little Wait Time. When you walk into an urgent care facility, you won’t have to deal with a ridiculous line of people, and an absurd wait time. In fact, many people report that they are seen within 20 minutes, and are finished with their appointment within an hour. Have you ever heard of leaving the ER within 60 minutes?
• Quality Care. You don’t have to be worried that you won’t get proper care at a walk in clinic. These facilities are staffed with highly trained nurses, medical assistants, and each center must have a physician onsite at all times. You can go to these centers for most non-life threatening illnesses and receive quality care.
• Cheaper. Did you know that the average cost of an ER visit is roughly $1,500? That cost could be much higher if you need to have additional treatment or x-rays done. Instead, the average treatment at an urgent care center is $150 or less, even without insurance coverage.

Urgent care clinics are essentially much more affordable, convenient, and helpful. So, find the nearest one and get the care you need. Check out this website for more.