Think Twice Before Heading to Urgent Care

Urgent Care offices — which now seem to pop up overnight on every corner — do not deliver true medical care.

Their purpose is not to diagnose or treat you as a whole person, but rather to quickly dispense a temporary remedy (like an antibiotic, muscle relaxant, or pain reliever) and then refer you to a “specialist” or order more testing. Often, these referrals and diagnostics are not truly necessary — but they are profitable for the corporations behind these centers.

Most Urgent Care clinics are owned by large health systems (e.g., Valley Health, Atlantic Health Partners, etc.). They're expensive to operate with extended hours and lower patient volumes, so there’s constant pressure on staff to move patients through quickly and funnel them into the system — even if that means scheduling specialty appointments or procedures that might not be needed.

What’s more, Urgent Care visits can be more expensive than you think. They often come with higher copays than your regular office visit, and may be out-of-network depending on your insurance plan. That’s on top of the cost of any unnecessary follow-up appointments or testing.

The best medical care is always delivered by a provider who knows you — your medical history, your family background, your personal context — and who sees the full picture, not just a symptom in a snapshot.

At DCMedical, we provide 24/7 coverage via our answering service. More often than not, we can help you avoid that higher Urgent Care or ER bill by offering guidance or prescriptions over the phone until we can see you in the office.

Continuity of care matters. It leads to better outcomes, fewer unnecessary tests, and a deeper understanding of your health over time. Please consider reaching out to us first — we're here to help.