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With health insurance getting increasingly expensive in recent years, more people opt out from purchasing a policy. However, accidents can still happen. How much does an urgent care visit cost when you don’t have health insurance?
An urgent care visit costs $200 to $300 without insurance, but it can cost as much as $350 without insurance. The cost varies depending on the amount of care given, how long the visit lasts, and where the urgent care center is located.
In this article, I’ll discuss the urgent care visit cost without insurance, with insurance, and various factors that can affect the costs.
How Much Does Urgent Care Cost Without Health Insurance?
Several different factors affect the cost of urgent care without insurance. However, the base price may be anywhere from $100 all the way to $450. An excellent way to figure out how much your urgent care visit will cost would be to take the base average of $200. If you know you will need something like an x-ray or ultrasound, then you can multiply that by 30-50%, which gives you the price you will likely have to pay.
While the price of treatment varies from location to location, the table below shows the common reasons for going to an urgent care center and the associated costs. It also compares the price of an emergency room to that of an urgent care facility.
| Condition | Urgent Care Cost for Treatment ($) | Emergency Room Cost for Treatment ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Allergies | $97 | $345 |
| Acute Bronchitis | $127 | $595 |
| Earache | $110 | $400 |
| Sore Throat | $94 | $525 |
| Pink Eye | $102 | $370 |
| Sinusitis (Sinus Infection) | $112 | $617 |
| Strep Throat | $111 | $531 |
| Upper Respiratory Infection | $111 | $486 |
| Urinary Tract Infections | $112 | $665 |
Urgent Care Without Insurance vs. With Insurance
When determining the overall cost of any medical procedure or doctor’s visit, it’s always a good idea to familiarize yourself with the different possibilities.
The table below demonstrates the difference in pricing when visiting urgent care without insurance vs. with insurance. With most insurance companies, you’ll be liable to pay a copay, even if they cover the visit.
Please note: The table mentions only some of the states and is organized by affordability rather than alphabetically.
| State | Average Copay |
| North Dakota | $47 |
| Louisiana | $52 – $54 |
| Mississippi | $52 – $54 |
| North Carolina | $52 – $54 |
| Tennessee | $52 – $54 |
| Alabama | $54 – $56 |
| Arizona | $54 – $56 |
| Missouri | $54 – $56 |
| Oklahoma | $54 – $58 |
| South Carolina | $54 – $58 |
| Florida | $58 |
| Alaska | $60 – $73 |
| Texas | $60 – $73 |
| Wisconsin | $60 – $73 |
| Indiana | $74 |
Determining Factors of Urgent Care Visit Costs
It should be too much of a surprise that there are multiple aspects that determine how much you are going to have to pay. And like with most other medical visits, the aspects that affect the price of urgent care visits are the same; how complex the service provided is, how long you are there, the location of the provider, and if your insurance covers it.
Services and How Complex They Are
The most significant factor in determining the cost of urgent care without insurance is the condition you are getting treated for and how complex the treatment process will be. As mentioned earlier, anything that requires an X-ray or ultrasound will increase the price.
Minor things, like flu tests or COVID-19 tests, will be cheaper as they are quick and don’t take much, so they will typically cost $100 to $200. But anything that requires machinery or is more complex, like a sports injury or sprain, will be more advanced and will typically cost you $140 to $400.
Time at Provider
Another significant factor is how long you will be there. In most cases, a visit to an urgent care center will only take between 20-30 minutes. However, if you have a serious issue that takes longer to treat or decide to stay and take up a room for extra time, it can cost you more.
There aren’t any exact numbers on how much time affects the cost of your visit. However, if your visit lasts an hour or more, expect your bill to be higher than average.
Insurance Coverage
While health insurance or its alternatives may cover a portion of your visit to an urgent care center, many health insurance providers don’t provide coverage for a wide variety of urgent care centers. Even when health insurance covers part of the cost, you will still likely average paying around $100 or more depending on your health insurance plan.
Location
Another important factor that determines how much you are going to have to pay for your visit to urgent care is the state and city you are in. Some states just have higher or lower costs of medical services, and this can make a visit to an urgent care facility more expensive or cheaper by around $100.
Below is a chart of some of the largest cities in the United States and the average cost of a visit to an urgent care facility.
| City | The Average Cost of an Urgent Care Visit |
|---|---|
| New York City, NY | $257 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $242 |
| San Antonio, TX | $194 |
| Dallas, TX | $236 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $193 |
| Portland, OR | $239 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $164 |
| Fort Worth, TX | $229 |
| Seattle, WA | $241 |
| Tucson, AZ | $179 |
| Chicago, IL | $215 |
| Austin, TX | $237 |
| Denver, CO | $259 |
| Atlanta, GA | $200 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $150 |
| Richmond, VA | $191 |
| Houston, TX | $229 |
| Nashville, TN | $255 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $155 |
| San Diego, CA | $215 |
| Brooklyn, NY | $246 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $252 |
| Wilmington, DE | $170 |
| Bronx, NY | $199 |
| Columbus, OH | $195 |
| San Francisco, CA | $304 |
| Pasadena, CA | $248 |
| Asheville, NC | $223 |
| Baltimore, MD | $229 |
| Washington, DC | $241 |
| Scottsdale, AZ | $177 |
| Oklahoma City | $172 |
Individual Providers
It’s worth noting that pricing may vary significantly between different providers. So, if you’re asking, “How much is an ER care without insurance?” or “How much does urgent care cost without insurance?” you need to consider the providers as well. The following table indicates the average price of a visit to some of the most popular facilities.
| Name of Clinic | Average Cost per Visit |
| Accelerated Urgent Care | $205 |
| AFC Urgent Medical Care | $247 |
| AFC Urgent Care | $200 |
| Carewell Urgent Care | $270 |
| Community Med Urgent Care | $310 |
| Exer Urgent Care | $215 |
| Instant Urgent Care | $259 |
| Maxem Health Urgent Care | $355 |
| MD Now | $305 |
| MMG Medstar Physicians | $250 |
| Multicare Urgent Care | $250 |
| Nextcare Urgent Care | $360 |
| North Shore Urgent Care | $200 |
| Patient First Urgent Care | $242 |
| Peachtree Immediate Care | $205 |
| Physicianone Urgent Care | $240 |
| PromptMD | $239 |
| Reliant Urgent Care | $250 |
| Stat Med Urgent Care | $200 |
| StatMD | $200 |
Services an Urgent Care Facility Offers
Urgent care facilities offer a wide variety of services, most of which are relatively simple. They aren’t able to provide any emergency services, those need to be treated at the emergency rooms. However, urgent care facilities offer many other things. Some of these services and treatments include the following:
- Annual Wellness Exams
- Blood Draws
- Blood Sugar Tests
- Chest X-rays
- Electrocardiogram (EKG)
- Flu Shots
- HIV TEsts
- IV Fluid
- Minor Burns
- MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
- Mono Tests
- Nebulizer Machines
- Pink Eye & Styes
- Pregnancy Tests
- School & Sport Physicals
- Sinus Infections & Congestion
- Sprains, Strains & Joint Pain
- Stitches (Only 1-5 Stitches)
- Strep or Sore Throat
- TDAP (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis)
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
- X-Ray
Differences Between Urgent Care and the Emergency Room
While emergency rooms and urgent care seem similar, they are unique facilities. Some of the differences have been previously mentioned, but there are two significant differences between the two that you should know, which will help you know where to go in case of an emergency.
Price
The biggest difference between the emergency room and an urgent care center is the cost. Emergency rooms are going to be far more expensive, with or without health insurance, so if your problem is a minor one that can be solved at an urgent care facility, you are going to want to do urgent care.
The average urgent care visit costs just around $200, while a trip to the emergency room is ten times higher than that at an average price of $2,200.
Time to Receive Treatment
Another difference between the emergency room and urgent care is the amount of time you will likely have to wait to receive treatment. At urgent care, you will typically have to wait around 20-30 minutes before being seen, while at an emergency room, the average wait time depends on the severity. For more severe injuries, you will likely be seen within 30 minutes, while those with minor injuries or problems will likely have to wait at least an hour.
Services
As mentioned several times throughout this article, urgent care is best for those who aren’t having an emergency but can’t wait til their primary care provider opens up. These tend to be smaller things such as infections or sprains. For more serious injuries like broken bones, you will have to go to the emergency room.
Should You Go to Urgent Care or the Emergency Room?
The most significant factor here is, “How bad is this injury or problem?” For a severe problem, go to an emergency room. They have access to much more powerful medicine and tools.
You can visit either the emergency room or an urgent care facility for minor injuries or problems or for anything mentioned on the list of services urgent care offers.
Know that the urgent care visit cost without insurance will be far lower than at an emergency room. The same is true of the wait time. However, it is up to you whether you want to go to the emergency room or urgent care.
| Type of visit | Level of care | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary care | Routine care and non-life-threatening care | -Primary care doctor knows you best -Cheaper than going to urgent care or an emergency room | Might not be able to get an appointment |
| Urgent care center | Prompt care or non-life-threatening issues | -Usually don’t need an appointment -Cheaper than the emergency room | More expensive than primary care visit |
| Emergency room | Serious and life-threatening health issues | -Provides a higher level of care than primary care and urgent care -Don’t need an appointment | More expensive than primary care or urgent care |
Tips for Reducing the Cost of Urgent Care
Another positive about the cost of urgent care is the fact that they often offer discounted rates for those who are paying entirely out of pocket for their medical expenses. However, this isn’t a guarantee.
You can always ask urgent care facilities around you to learn if any offer discounts. You might also be able to negotiate the standard fee even lower or work out a payment plan that makes the cost more affordable. But don’t count on this or expect it to be easy.
One of the best ways to reduce urgent care costs is to have a primary care membership with the urgent care center. With a primary care membership, you pay a monthly fee to visit a physician or a medical practice, and they agree to take care of some of your medical needs.
Another option is to get a medical card. A health discount card allows the holder to receive discounted rates for different medical services at specific care providers. Many cards will typically have some sort of monthly fee, with many of them costing around $10 a month; however, there are also several free options. The discounts the cards can offer will also be different, with some cards offering up to 85% off of any medical expenses.
Can Health Share Help with Urgent Care Costs?
Yes, most health share programs can help mitigate urgent care costs if you don’t have traditional insurance. Health shares operate on a community-based model where members contribute to a shared fund, which is then used to cover medical expenses for participants in need, including urgent care.
Start your journey with health share today! Compare the best health share programs to find the one that fits your needs best and join thousands of Americans who have joined health-sharing communities to help with their medical costs!
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