Taking Your Child To Urgent Care: 3 Tips
Kids are playful and sometimes downright rambunctious. On occasion, this leads to injuries, from cuts to broken bones. The most serious of these injuries often need to be treated in the emergency room. But somewhat milder injuries can often be treated at an urgent care center. Urgent care offers faster service than the ER, and the treatment also tends to be less costly. However, there are a few tips you'll want to follow when taking your child to urgent care.
Check the list of injuries the urgent care center deals with
Most urgent care centers are happy to treat injuries like cuts, mild concussions, and sprains. But there is some variation as to which types of injuries, in particular, urgent care centers are equipped to treat. Some urgent care centers, for example, may have x-ray and MRI machines, meaning they're more capable of dealing with breaks and sprains. Others may not have this equipment. So, it doesn't hurt to quickly check the urgent care center's website before taking your child there. Make sure the website states that they treat the type of injury that your child is dealing with. If the answer is unclear, you can call the urgent care center and ask someone directly.
Bring your child's insurance card
Most urgent care centers accept a wide range of insurance plans in order to ensure their care is available to more patients. They also tend to offer affordable, out-of-pocket care for the uninsured. If your child has insurance, make sure you grab their insurance card on the way to urgent care. This will allow the urgent care center to more promptly bill your insurance company so you don't pay any more than necessary for your child's treatment.
Have another parent or guardian come along, if possible
When you reach the urgent care center, there will be paperwork for you to fill out. So, if you have another adult who can come with you, bringing them along is a good idea. They can sit with your child as you fill out the paperwork. This can help your child feel more comfortable as they wait for treatment. Urgent care centers are wonderful, but merely being in a medical facility can make a child nervous, and having an adult there to hold their hand helps keep them calm.
Urgent care centers offer prompt, affordable care for kids with minor to moderate injuries. Follow the tips above for good results.