Urgent care rant.

[Laffy Kat]

For the third time in a little over a year, I've had to take a friend or neighbor to the ER following poorly managed or failed outpatient treatment from urgent care centers. Today, it was a neighbor who was bitten by a cat a couple of days ago and took herself to an urgent care center where she was given substandard treatment and sent home. Today, the wound was clearly infected, swollen, and streaking going up her arm. As soon as she showed it to me I rushed her to the ER where they admitted her for IV antibiotics. Hopefully we caught it in time.

I'm not saying there's not a place for urgent care centers, especially in rural areas where there is limited access to health centers, but be careful. They are generally for-profit business that over-charge and they have limited value. If you need a finger stitched up, fine; but if you think you have appendicitis go the ER for heaven's sake. Another friend of mine went to an urgent care in the middle of the night (I told her to go directly to hospital) for right lower quadrant pain and the center simply called an ambulance to take her to the ER for an appendectomy. So on top of the UC co-pay there was an additional ambulance charge. It doesn't make sense in the long run.

[Ohiogal]

1. I have read recently

Last edited Mon Mar 19, 2018, 09:49 PM - Edit history (1)

That some health insurance companies refuse to pay for a trip to the ER if it turns out what you went for wasn't really an emergency. Such as, you had chest pain but you were diagnosed with severe heartburn and not a heart attack. Appalling, I know. But it may make some people think twice about going to the ER. In my opinion, if you think you need the ER, insurance should pay. I don't know how there haven't been lawsuits over this.

[question everything]

2. Seems that one has to be half doctor, or half a nurse before going to seek medical help

Being bitten or scratched by an animal would immediately call for a tetanus shot and some antibiotic. And one has to insist on it.

Hope your neighbor will recover from her physical wound and not incurred a fiscal wound from the healthcare providers..