‘There’s Profitability in Affordability’ for Urgent Care

The path to ongoing growth in the urgent care industry is paved with the dollars it saves payers and patients, according to MedExpress Chief Medical Officer Thomas Pangburn, MD. While insurers would likely disagree, Pangburn says that includes the advent of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”). Here’s some of the rationale he shared with the Pittsburgh Tribune Review :

• “With the Affordable Care Act and changes in the healthcare system, more and more people now have insurance and are accessing the healthcare system in new ways. Urgent care meets those needs for many of these individuals.
• “The newly insured may not have an existing or current relationship with a primary care provider, so urgent care centers can help fill this void and meet short-term needs.
• “The need for urgent care centers is really driven by our patients and their desire for convenient, affordable, high-quality care…. That convenience makes urgent care centers a great option for those with unscheduled, time-sensitive needs.
• “Urgent care centers are available for timely, non‒life-threatening illnesses and injuries, helping patients avoid the cost of nonemergent services at an emergency room by providing a more affordable option. This allows ERs to focus on the most critical patient needs.”