The urgent care industry continues to experience year-over-year growth as more patients seek on-demand care for non-emergency conditions, according to a report from the Urgent Care Association (UCA). As of November 2018, the total number of urgent care centers in the U.S. reached 8,774, up 8% from 8,125 in 2017. The UCA’s 2018 Benchmarking Report found more than 70% of patients wait less than 20 minutes to see a provider at an urgent care center, and nearly 94% are seen in less than 30 minutes. In terms of total visit time, nearly 85% of patients are taken care of in less than 60 minutes, according to the report.
“Urgent care centers play an increasingly vital role in the continuum of care, providing services for a wide array of patients who may be unable to see a primary care physician for various reasons, including simply not yet affiliating with one,” said Laurel Stoimenoff, PT, CHC, CEO of UCA. “As a result, the patient populations utilizing urgent care centers are evolving, with Millennials leading the way in driving demand and increased utilization. And as Baby Boomers are aging into Medicare, we are also seeing year over year growth in that sector as well.”
According to the report, a median of 35% of patients seeking care at urgent care centers are unaffiliated with a primary care provider or a medical home. Urgent care centers serve as the “front door,” often connecting these patients with a medical home or specialists. In addition, the number of Medicare and Medicaid patients seeking services at urgent care centers continues to grow, accounting for nearly 27 percent of all visits in 2018. This can be attributed, in part, to Baby Boomers who were already using urgent centers and are now starting to tap into Medicare benefits.
“Urgent care centers continue to expand their scope of services, catering to the needs of local patient populations,” said Stoimenoff. “Specialty services such as occupational medicine, pediatric care and telemedicine are becoming more prevalent, increasing access for patients across the country, particularly in underserved communities. These services help alleviate crowded emergency departments while reducing the impact of physician shortages in communities nationwide.”