Both a walk-in and urgent care clinic can provide medical care when you’re not able to visit a primary care doctor. Urgent care is usually reserved for more substantial illnesses or injuries. If your issue is severe or life threatening, you should visit an emergency room.
If home remedies don’t effectively treat symptoms of an illness like the flu, or you sprain your ankle or experience another minor injury, you may want to get medical help.
But what happens if you don’t have a primary care doctor, or they are not available to see you for a week or more?
That’s where walk-in and urgent care clinics come in. These treatment centers provide medical care without requiring an appointment. Some even offer care for reduced costs, depending on your needs and abilities to pay.
Read on to learn about these two types of medical care facilities, decide which one you should go to, and when you should forgo both and go to the emergency room (ER) instead.
Walk-in clinics can treat minor illnesses and injuries. They are typically staffed with nurse practitioners or physician assistants who are accustomed to seeing many of the same conditions treated at a primary care doctor’s office.
These clinics can be standalone or located inside another business, such as a grocery or big box store. They can be more affordable than a doctor’s office or an urgent care clinic. Some offer care to people who are uninsured or underinsured and don’t have access to a primary care physician. In addition to minor illnesses, they often provide vaccinations, physical exams, and some health screenings.
Walk-in clinics are also often open outside of normal business hours, such as in the evenings or on weekends.
Visit a walk-in clinic if you don’t have access to a primary care doctor and experience non-serious conditions and symptoms, including:
- flu or a cold
- sore throat
- minor scrapes or cuts that do not require emergency medical treatment
- allergies
- strep throat
- pink eye
- ear or sinus infection
- minor skin conditions, such as blisters
- minor insect bites
Additionally, you can visit a walk-in clinic if you need:
- certain common vaccinations, such as for flu, shingles, or meningitis
- a physical or wellness exam
- certain health screenings, such as for women’s health or for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
A clinic medical professional can give you advice and prescribe medications, or refer you to a specialist.
Think of urgent care clinics like an intermediary step between walk-in clinics and an ER.
Like walk-in clinics, they are open evenings and weekends, and you don’t need an appointment to be seen.
A good rule of thumb for visiting an urgent care clinic is when you cannot wait to be seen by a medical professional, but your symptoms or injury are not life threatening. These can include:
- deeper cuts and scrapes
- sprains and strains
- minor burns
- animal bites that don’t cause serious injury
- infections
- minor bone breaks (they can cast and splint injuries)
- high fever or fever that will not subside on its own
- persistent diarrhea
- moderate allergic reactions
- minor head injuries, like a concussion
- respiratory conditions like non-life-threatening asthma and bronchitis
They can also provide help with wound care.
Urgent care centers are typically staffed by physician assistants and nurse practitioners as well as primary care doctors, specialists, and surgeons. They can provide the same services as walk-in clinics, but they can also perform X-rays and other imaging exams, give you sutures (stitches), and treat more complex or urgent conditions.
They are also typically lower priced than an ER visit.
The wait times at urgent care clinics are often shorter than at ERs. But unlike ERs, urgent care clinics cannot perform procedures that require anesthesia.
According to one 2021 study, having an open urgent care center reduced the total number of ER visits by residents in that area by 17.2%. This means that healthcare professionals could treat a substantial number of health issues at an urgent care clinic, which could free up ER staff to handle critical medical emergencies.
If your symptoms are severe or life threatening, you should call emergency medical services (911 in the United States) or go to the nearest ER.
Medical emergencies include:
- symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, such as severe chest pain, sudden loss of balance, vision change, facial droop, or arm or leg weakness
- severe allergic reaction
- sudden or severe pain anywhere in your body
- major injury to any part of your body
- severe burns
- severe bleeding
- deep cuts or wounds
- severe abdominal pain or vomiting blood
- difficulty breathing
- sepsis
- substance overdose or poisoning
An ER is usually located at a hospital. Medical staff there will evaluate you or your loved one and provide treatment on the spot. After being stabilized, you may be hospitalized for continued treatment and evaluation.
A trip to an ER is the costliest option, especially if you don’t have medical insurance. But an ER will never turn down providing care if you’re experiencing a medical emergency.
Most walk-in and urgent care clinics accept health insurance, including government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, but coverage can vary depending on the clinic, the type of insurance plan you have, and the services provided.
Factors that may affect your bill at one of these medical facilities can depend on:
- whether the clinic is in or out of network with your insurance
- your deductibles and copays
- having preauthorization (prior approval) from your insurance
In the United States, if your private insurance plan covers emergency care, no medical facility can charge you more for it than your in-network care for certain services. This includes copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles.
Some clinics offer lower rates or payment plans for those who do not have insurance.
It’s best to verify whether your insurance will cover a specific clinic and health issue in advance by calling the customer service number on your insurance card.
Insurance in the United States covers ER visits without preauthorization. However, your cost will depend on your policy.
Wondering which medical facility to visit when your primary care doctor is not available or you are experiencing urgent symptoms? Use this guide.
| Walk-in clinic | Urgent care clinic | Emergency room | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Types of symptoms | • cold and flu • minor scrapes and cuts • minor skin conditions | • minor injuries • mild to moderate breathing difficulty • high or long-lasting fever • non-severe allergic reaction • ear or sinus pain • infection • persistent vomiting or diarrhea • mild to moderate pain | • chest and severe abdominal pain • difficulty breathing • symptoms of a heart attack or stroke • severe physical trauma • severe allergic reaction • seizures • coughing or vomiting blood |
| Services provided | • diagnoses and treatments for minor illnesses and injuries • common vaccinations • health screenings • physical exam | The same services as a walk-in clinic, as well as: • comprehensive diagnostic testing • performing minor procedures like sutures and fracture casting • mild to moderate condition treatment | • care for life-threatening medical emergencies due to illness or injury • extensive diagnostic testing • access to many types of specialists • emergency surgery • hospitalization • extended evaluation |
| Level of care | Medical professionals can evaluate, diagnose, and treat many common illnesses and minor injuries. They can also prescribe medications and refer you to a specialist. | • care for life threatening medical emergencies due to illness or injury • extensive diagnostic testing • access to many types of specialists • emergency surgery • hospitalization • extended evaluation | ERs provide the highest level of care other than an operating room. They’re focused on immediate emergency evaluation (called triage), stabilization, and medical care. |
Urgent care and walk-in clinics are similar in that they provide non-life-threatening medical care and do not require an appointment. If you cannot see your primary care professional soon enough, they can often diagnose and treat many non-serious medical conditions and injuries.
Understanding the difference between these types of facilities can help you determine where to go when you need care.