Walk in Clinic: Questions to Ask Before You Go

If you plan to use a walk in clinic instead of going to your regular physician, you should find out a few details before seeking treatment. This is because you have a lot of options when it comes to getting medical care, and you should consider the benefits of each one before deciding. This way, you can get the best treatment possible.

One of the first things to think about is whether the walk in clinic that you are considering takes your insurance. Some procedures can be quite expensive, and even just check-ups and simple vaccinations can cost a lot of money. If you want to avoid paying for these visits on your own, make sure your insurance is accepted. You may still have to pay a co-pay or meet your deductible, but this is usually cheaper than paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars for medical services. If you do not have insurance, know that most clinics offer discounts for patients paying cash, so find out what the total prices would be for you.

Another thing to find out is the approximate time you can expect to wait. The whole point of a walk in clinic is that you do not have to get an appointment, which can be nice if you have an emergency or just want to be treated the same day. However, the downside is that you will usually have to wait before being seen by a doctor when you do not have an appointment. This means that you should have some time free to sit in the waiting room, even though it will probably not take more than a few hours. You should ask the front desk how long it typically takes for patients to be seen. They may not be allowed to promise anything, but they may be able to tell you an average so you can plan your day accordingly.

Finally, find out what facilities are on-site. For example, if you need to get an X-ray or ultrasound done before you are diagnosed, you should not have to go to a different location since this can be inconvenient. Similarly, if you need to get a blood test or other type of examination, you should not have to travel to a lab or other site to get it done. Therefore, it is good to make sure the walk in clinic you are considering has these amenities on-site, as it is nice to avoid traveling elsewhere and getting a completely different bill for these services.

You can often find out the answers to these questions online since many websites of clinics state these facts. If it is not clear from the site, you should call the office to find out. Otherwise, you risk wasting your time waiting for a walk in clinic that does not even take your insurance, or does not have the amenities you need. Waiting until you get there to find out these answers may be too late since you will not have time to make a regular appointment with your doctor if it turns out the medical center will not work for you, so plan ahead.