Look Inside Young Adult Road Map

Medical Care Choice
Urgent Care
(“Walk-In”) clinics
Regular visits to a family
practice physician
Free clinic run by community
organizations and medical/
dental schools
Nurse practitioner at your
family practice office
Emergency room
What this choice offers
These services can be used by walk-in or
appointment for non-life-threatening emergencies.
They can be used for drug testing and physicals
for work or other activities. Many clinics now have
equipment for routine X-rays and other tests for
injuries. You can see a provider outside of typical
business hours. For some walk-in clinics, you can
go online to view the types of treatments offered.
Walk-in clinics may take your insurance (though
you may have a co-pay).
You can form a working relationship with the
physician or nurse practitioner in a family practice.
This practice may take your insurance (though you
may have a co-pay). Many practices are in hospitals
and will send you to a clinic in the hospital for
drug screening and other blood or urine tests.
Free treatment, or low-cost treatment (based on
your ability to pay). Some clinics offer special
services that may not be included in many plans,
such as vision and dental services.
It is often easier to get an appointment with a
nurse practitioner. The nurse practitioner can
prescribe medications. You can form a working
relationship with the nurse practitioner. The nurse
practitioner may work in a practice that will take
your insurance plan (be sure to check beforehand).
The nurse practitioner may be able to take
more time with you than a physician can.
This service should only be used for a lifethreatening
emergency or possible major injury
(for example, you have been in a car accident
and it is not clear if you are seriously injured).
Emergency rooms may take your insurance
(though you may have a co-pay).
What to consider
The staff may not have access to your records.
You may have to fill in a lot of blanks for the staff.
You may have to wait a long time, depending
upon the number of people ahead of you and the
severity of yours and their situations. However,
many clinics now allow you to book appointments
online.
It may be difficult to get an appointment with the
physician for times that work for you and your
schedule. If you change insurance plans, check to
make sure the practice still takes that insurance
and you can afford any co-pay.
Services and hours of operation may be limited.
You may have no choice of providers. Services may
be offered by less experienced providers, especially
at medical/dental schools (although they are
supervised by more experienced providers).
The nurse practitioner is probably not available at
night or on weekends. If you suddenly feel sick, you
may want to go to a walk-in clinic instead. Certain
ailments, like influenza virus (“the flu”) can be
treated more effectively if you get medical help
right away.
This service can be very expensive. You may sit in a
crowded waiting room a long time on busy nights.
You have very little control over what services you
receive (because you will sign a form agreeing to
pay each health provider separately, such as the
X-ray tech, doctor, lab tech—before you are given
any services). Afterwards, you will probably get bills
from multiple providers. Your insurance plan may
have a “cap” (maximum amount) it will pay for a
visit to an emergency room.
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