Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

How Should an Urgent Care Handle Requests for Medical Records by Subpoena?

Urgent Message: Urgent care centers need documented, consistent, and reportable processes for receiving, tracking, responding to, and collecting payment on subpoenas for patient medical records. Citation: Ayers A. How Should an Urgent Care Handle Requests for Medical Records by Subpoena? J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 19(2): 29-32 Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc, is President of Urgent Care Consultants and is Senior Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. Medical records are the critical foundation …

ASD Services Fit With Existing UC Business Models

Urgent Message: Rapid growth in the autism spectrum disorder services (ASD) sector may present an expansion opportunity for urgent care operators who take the initiative to develop the necessary infrastructure. Citation: Ayers A. ASD Services Fit With Existing UC Business Models, J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 19 (1): 33-36 As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to rise—now affecting 1 in 36 children in the United States—demand for accessible services is greater than …

Guardrails for Nonsufficient Funds and Credit Card on File Fees

Urgent Message: Urgent care operators must navigate emerging federal, state, and payer regulations when developing financial policies that require payment by credit card and when setting fees for bounced checks and denied credit card charges. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc Citation: Ayers A. Guardrails for Nonsufficient Funds and Credit Card on File Fees. J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 18 (11): 41-43 Urgent care centers frequently charge a nonsufficient funds (NSF) fee when a patient’s check …

The Urgent Need for STI Testing in Urgent Care Centers

Urgent Message: With STI rates rising, urgent care centers have a unique opportunity to address a pressing public health need and increase patient volumes and revenue by adding STI testing services. Citation: Ayers A. The Urgent Need for STI Testing in Urgent Care Centers. J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 18(10)39-42 Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 1 million sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are acquired every day.1 …

2024 Urgent Care’s Top 100 by Number of Locations

Alan Ayers, MBA, MAcc The following table summarizes the 100 largest urgent care operators by number of locations as of May 2024, based on data provided by National Urgent Care Realty and Experity. Because of the significant number of private operators that also operate facilities with hospital partners, this year’s list delineates the breakdown of health-system-affiliated locations. Data is reported by the parent entity as opposed to regional brands, partnerships, or affiliations. Of the nation’s …

Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Urgent Care Site Selection

Urgent Message: Location and accessibility are keys to success for any urgent care. Operators must avoid common pitfalls when evaluating a site for their next venture. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc, is President of Experity Consulting and is Senior Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. Citation: Ayers, A. Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Urgent Care Site Selection. J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 18(9): 22-25 Experience tells us that friendly service, competent providers, short wait …

What Does Unclaimed Property Mean for Urgent Care Providers?

Urgent Message: Undeliverable refunds of patient balances do not become property of the urgent care center, but rather, after effort to contact patients, must be turned over to the state. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc Citation: Ayers A. What Does Unclaimed Property Mean for Urgent Care Providers? J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 18(8):29-31 Urgent care centers frequently carry patient balances due to overpayment. This happens with co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles, or other out-of-pocket outlays when the …

Urgent Care Billing Matters for Personal Injury Presentations

Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc Urgent Message: The uncertain and extended payment cycle for treating personal injuries caused by third parties, which may be subject to litigation or settlement, can be managed using tools such as letters of protection and medical liens. It’s not uncommon for an individual seriously injured in an accident or by medical negligence to bring a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party. If found liable, the at-fault party is held …

Private Equity Ownership in Urgent Care By Number of Centers, 2024

Citation: Ayers A. Private Equity Ownership in Urgent Care By Number of Centers, 2024. J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 18(7):33-34 Although private equity started nibbling on urgent care as far back as 2007, its full investment push kicked off with the 2010 acquisitions and scaling of NextCare, MedExpress, and FastMed. Since that time, some regional platforms like Physicians Immediate Care, MD Now, and PhysicianOne have completed the entire private equity investment lifecycle of acquisition, scaling, and final …

Supervising Doctors May be Held Liable in Malpractice Suits

Urgent Message: A supervising physician can be named in a lawsuit for malpractice against a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, however, there are steps supervising physicians can take to protect themselves against such actions. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc In urgent care settings, physicians are often responsible for supervising and overseeing a team of other healthcare employees, including nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and medical assistants (MAs). If any member of this team is …

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