Filling an urgent care need

With the shortage of primary care doctors and crowded ERs, urgent care medicine has been on the rise nationwide. One doctor risked it all on the belief that the absence of care for non-emergency conditions created a need for a walk-in clinic. The convenience of the clinics continues to win over new patients each year. Their lower costs also have made them an affordable alternative for the uninsured. Locally, centers charge between $100 to $200 per visit. The proliferation of the centers is largely due to the health insurance industry's about-face on providing coverage, making urgent care medicine one of the fastest growing sectors of health care.