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Urgent Care vs. Emergency Room

Young boy with mother getting his tongue checked out by a doctor or physician

Every year in the US, millions of Americans spend their valuable time and money in the emergency room when they could be seen in urgent care instead*. 

Whether you’re insured or paying out-of-pocket, it’s important to choose Primary Health Urgent Care instead of the emergency room for non-life-threatening conditions. 

Book Your Urgent Care Visit

Urgent care is faster. Our average visit is 44 minutes from check-in to check-out, and you receive the same level of care as the emergency room for non-life-threatening conditions. By comparison, the average emergency room visit in Idaho takes nearly 2 ½ hours**.

Urgent care costs less. You’ll pay about 75% less*** in urgent care compared to the emergency room, and that could mean hundreds of dollars saved on your next sore throat or sprained ankle!

Choose Urgent Care for:

  • Fever, cough and illness symptoms
  • Cuts requiring stitches
  • Sprains and broken bones requiring x-ray
  • Earaches and infections
  • Foreign object removal
  • Mild abdominal pain
  • Animal bites
  • Back pain
  • Headaches
  • Asthma and allergies
  • Urinary tract infections
  • Sports injuries

Choose the ER for:

  • Heart attack or stroke
  • Severe bleeding
  • Major trauma
  • Severe abdominal pain
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Any other life-threatening condition

Find your Clinic

*https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/emergency-department.htm

**For patients who are not admitted. https://projects.propublica.org/emergency/hospital/130006

***https://www.debt.org/medical/emergency-room-urgent-care-costs/