AFC South Philadelphia Urgent Care Vs ER

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AFC Urgent Care vs. Emergency Rooms in South Philly, PA

When You Should Use an Urgent Care Center Instead of an ER.

Illnesses and injuries have the uncanny ability to strike our lives at the worst and most unexpected times. Maybe you cut your finger while slicing a tomato. You are distracted on stairs and slip, twisting your ankle. Perhaps you wake up to a crying child and are immediately concerned with a high temperature reading on the thermometer.

In the past, you would expect to wait in an emergency room for hours while waiting to be seen by a doctor. Weeks later, you receive a bill where you initially think the hospital has misplaced a decimal point. Avoid the long waits and high costs of a traditional emergency room. Save time and money with a visit to AFC Urgent Care South Philly. Emergency rooms are an essential lifesaving resource in Philadelphia. However, they must be only used when you have a life-threatening illness or injury. Nonlife-threatening ailments can be quickly and effectively addressed at a walk-in medical center like ours.

Federal law requires ERs to provide treatment to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay for any costs they might incur. ERs are placed under incredible strain when patients do not have the funds to cover any out-of-pocket costs or have no insurance. Would you believe that the average cost of the top 10 most common types of visits to the ER is $1,500? Who has that sort of walking around money? Studies show that almost $18 billion could be saved annually by Americans if they used urgent care centers instead of ERs for their non-life-threatening problems and related medical needs.

Nearly three-fourths of all Americans say their primary care doctors are unavailable at night or on the weekends. If they are inaccessible, patients assume their only alternative is the ER. They may not be aware that a walk-in urgent care center can handle nonlife-threatening issues like strep throat, x-rays, and minor stitches. AFC Urgent Care South Philly bridges the gap between your regular doctor and the emergency room.

When to utilize AFC Urgent Care instead of an ER:

AFC Urgent Care

Abdominal Pain
Asthma
Back Pain
Bleeding from accidents, cuts, or falls
Broken bones
COVID-19 Testing
Ear pain
Eye irritation
Fever
Flu Test
Migraine
Minor Car Accidents
Skin rashes
Sprains or strains
STD tests
STD Treatment
Sore throat
Urinary burning
Vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration

Emergency Room

Amputations
Breathing Obstruction
Major Car Accidents
Convulsions or seizures
Difficulty breathing
Drug overdose
Knife or gunshot wound
Loss of limb or severe broken bone
Poisoning
Pregnancy – severe abdominal pain
Seizures/Convulsions
Serious head, neck, or back injury
Suspected Heart Attack or Stroke

Did you know medical debt in 2022 was one of the top reasons for bankruptcy in the United States? It continues to be one of the top reasons every year. Do you know the top 3 reasons for ER visits? They are:

Sprains and strains (6.1 million visits in 2012)
Upper Respiratory infections ( 5.9 million visits in 2012)
Superficial cuts (5.8 million visits in 2012)

All of these illnesses and injuries could be handled, without an appointment, at AFC Urgent Care. Plus, you spend less of your time and money on these treatments.

AFC Urgent Care South Philly’s board-certified doctors are ready to assist you with your nonlife-threatening medical concerns. We accept most major insurances, and we have very affordable self-pay options if you have no insurance. We aim to help you get back on your feet and healthy again without breaking the home budget.