Emergency rooms are extremely expensive. It may take a few weeks or months, but the bill will eventually come due. Moreover, your emergency room bill could potentially cause serious financial issues for you going forward because the charges are likely to be very high. If you are already struggling to cover the costs of other bills, the additional medical expenses can really exacerbate your financial issues. That’s why you need to consider all of your available options when deciding whether to seek medical treatment at an emergency room.

Should You Go To The Emergency Room Or An Urgent Care Center?

When you get sick, or when you sustain a significant physical injury, your first impulse might be to head to the emergency room. Although getting immediate medical treatment is usually the right idea, it is not always the case that the emergency room is your best option. You can save a lot of money, as well as time, by going to a different type of medical facility: an urgent care center.

An urgent care center is a medical facility with doctors, including emergency care physicians, who will provide necessary medical assistance to patients who don’t have access to their primary care doctors or whose injury or medical condition requires immediate treatment. For example, what happens if you suffer an injury or illness late at night or on the weekend? If the pain is too severe and you simply can’t wait until the next day, or until Monday morning, to schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor, your best option may be to seek medical treatment at an urgent care center. That’s because urgent care centers are typically open every day and provide after-hours treatment options.

Serious Medical Conditions Vs. Non-urgent Medical Conditions

Of course, if your medical condition is particularly serious and you are critically ill, you may not have as many options when it comes to determining where you will be treated. For instance, a stroke or a heart attack probably requires treatment at an emergency room, where the facilities, equipment, and staff are likely to be more suited to your medical needs. So don’t automatically rule out going to an emergency room when you suffer from a serious injury or illness. Contact our top-rated Birmingham personal injury lawyers today.

If you or a loved one was misdiagnosed by a medical professional and suffered as a result, you should speak with a medical malpractice attorney. The experienced medical malpractice lawyers at Salter & Ferguson can help you pursue monetary compensation for your injuries or illness. Contact us now to schedule a free initial consultation.