Closer look at an ER alternative

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Anyone who has spent time in a hospital emergency room for a minor injury, such as a cut or sprain, knows it is no fun. A long wait, a lot of paperwork, and then you get the bill.

You do have other choices, and they are called urgent care centers.  But can they save you time and money?

Twins Nate and Thomas Lent are so alike, when Thomas came down with strep throat, it was just a matter of time before Nate would be fighting the fever and soreness, too.

When Thomas had to see a doctor the family's only option at the time was a hospital emergency room, and a long wait.

Thomas said, "I thought they had forgotten about me, for a while, but after two hours and staring at the ceiling for a while, they came in."

The emergency room bill for Thomas $281, plus a separate doctor's charge of $158, for a total of $439. Because of the insurance company's high deductible, the Lents had to pay the whole bill.

When strep throat struck Nate, he went to Immediate Care in Orchard Park which turned out to make a big difference.

First, Nate had a much shorter wait. Nate said, "I was at the end, the same thing happened, but it took much longer for him to actually get what he needed than I did."

The finale bill came to $284, which the insurance company coded like a doctor's visit. So the family's only out-of-pocket expense was $35.

Why is there such a disparity?

A hospital emergency room has big expenses, because it has to be ready for anything and everything.  Former emergency doctor Dr. Cynthia Ambres of BlueCross BlueShield of WNY said, "So we have to be available in an emergency department 24-7 to take care of you whether or not you've had a cough, or you have been stabbed."

But an urgent care center keeps a small staff and lower expenses, to care for the smaller emergencies.

Related Links:

>> Learn more about urgent care centers in Al Vaughter's notebook

>> This Urgent Care website answers more questions you may have

Immediate Care of Orchard Park's Dr. Joseph Chow said, "We see respiratory illnesses. We see lacerations, if you cut yourself, broken bones, urinary infections. We see these that do not have to go to the hospital ER."

Medical professionals all prefer that you see your family doctor first, if possible. If not, minor cuts, scrapes, and sprains might work out better at a walk-in urgent care center.

Chow said, "Most insurers, and even ERs, I believe, they will recognize many of the people that go to the emergency rooms did not have to be there. So urgent care is a cost effective way for the insurers, as well as consumers, patients."

Urgent care centers do have limited hours. Immediate Care, for instance is open 10 am to 10 pm, not the same as a 24-7 hospital emergency room, but certainly longer hours than your family doctor.

Does medical insurance cover urgent care visits?

Yes, and in many cases insurance companies incentivize urgent care, by coding them as a doctor's visit.

How do you know when you should use urgent care instead of an emergency room?

If you have a minor cut, burn, or sprain, an ear ache, urinary infection, or migraine headache, head to urgent care.

If you have a wound with severe bleeding, chest pains, obvious broken bones, or injure your back go to a hospital emergency room immediately.