Free walk in clinics may seem like an after thought when thinking about your own health or the health of others. In fact, free walk in clinics can be great compared to sitting in an emergency room or urgent care and have many benefits to visiting them.
If you are concerned about your own overall health or if you are concerned about cancer, then a free walk in clinic may be a good choice for you. Skin cancer is a very common cancer nowadays and because of the rise in people tanning and the destruction of the earth’s ozone layer, rates for skin cancer have increased rapidly. Since 1975 the rate of skin cancer has nearly tripled and many doctors will agree that over exposure to the sun actually can cause about 80 percent aging skin. What is interesting about this is that number is higher than smoking, inadequate sleep and even dehydration!
Visiting a free walk in clinic versus an emergency room can also be a great economic benefit to you or others as personal or family health care providers. These low cost health clinics are great in the sense that you can actually save money compared to an emergency room visit. On average according to the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey finds that on average a visit to the emergency room can pay $1,318 and a mean cost of about $615. This can add up to a lot in comparison to a lower cost alternative, such as a community health clinic or even a mobile health clinic.
Another thing to take into account is when to visit a specialist versus seeing your own doctor. As previously mentioned, things like cancer and other diseases may require a specialist for services that your regular doctor may not be able to provide. Other specialized needs may include care for the elderly that walk in health clinics may be able to provide. 20 adults 65 and up suffer some type of memory loss, and about 30 million people around the world suffer with dementia, this can even include Alzheimer’s disease.
These are just a few of the reasons that a visit to a free walk in clinic may be a good choice for you or your family.