Being sick can be stressful, especially if you’re trying to avoid seeing your regular doctor. You might be afraid of what they’ll say or that they won’t have time for you. Or maybe you’re just feeling guilty because you’re not taking care of yourself. If you can’t get in to see your regular doctor, don’t worry. Other doctors can provide excellent care, even if they aren’t as well-known or as widely accessible as your usual provider. You need to know where to go when you can’t get in to see your regular doctor.
Go to an Emergency Clinic
Sometimes, when you can’t get in to see your regular doctor, you have no choice but to go to an emergency clinic. These are open-access facilities that accept patients in severe pain or sick with an urgent condition. You can go to an emergency clinic without an appointment. Just show up and tell the staff you need to see a doctor.
Visit a Physician’s Office
A physician’s office is another option if you can’t get in to see your regular doctor when you’re sick. A physician is a doctor who specializes in treating the whole body, including the mind and the spirit. Some physicians’ offices also provide minor medical procedures, like stitches after a cut. You might not need to be seen by a specialist in these cases.
Visit an Urgent Care Centre
An urgent care center, one like Urgent Care Pros, is a type of clinic that’s open 24/7 for anyone who needs medical attention at any time. You can go there when you’re sick, and they can help you out fast. They won’t necessarily have the same staff or facilities like a hospital emergency room, but they can provide the proper care when you need it most. They’re open 24/7, so you can go there even if you don’t have insurance.
Find a Community Health Centre
A community health center is a place you can go when you don’t have insurance or money to pay for a doctor’s visit. A not-for-profit organization usually runs them, so they charge less than a private health clinic. Most community health centers will treat any patient, regardless of their ability to pay. Even if you have insurance, they may still charge you a co-payment for services.
Check if There’s a Walk-In Clinic in Your Area
Walk-in clinics don’t have appointment requirements and can treat patients on a first-come, first-served basis. If you don’t have insurance, they may charge you a co-payment. But if you have insurance, they often don’t. Find a walk-in clinic near you by visiting the American College of Physicians (ACP) website.
Call a Crisis Hotline
If you’re having an emergency, it’s always best to rely on emergency-oriented services instead of your general practitioner anyway. If you’re having a mental health-related emergency, the emergency room is definitely a place you should go if you feel you might be a danger to yourself or others, but you can also call a crisis hotline. These phone lines are setup specifically to provide help and comfort to people in need who might not know where to turn otherwise.
Go to an Alternative Caregiver Resource
Consider hiring a medical attendant if you need assistance with day-to-day tasks like housekeeping and grocery shopping. These are trained nurses who can help you take care of your health and your loved ones for a modest fee. Finding a list of medical attendants is as easy as searching for “medical attendants in your area” on Google.
Even if you don’t have health insurance, you shouldn’t let an inability to get in to see your regular doctor keep you from getting the medical care you need, especially in the case of an emergency. Many other options include walk-in clinics, urgent care centers, community health centers, and crisis hotlines. And if you don’t like any of those, there are always alternatives.
