UCAOA year-long campaign to raise national understanding about urgent care centers

On June 28, 2012 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Affordable Care Act by a 5-4 vote. This decision will ultimately impact all Americans, but targets the 16.3% of the population that was uninsured last year. That equates to 49.9 million Americans who could be seeking medical care.

This ruling could have a large impact on the urgent care industry. Currently, Urgent care centers see, on average, 342 patient visits per week. This equates to centers seeing as many as 160,056,000 patient visits each year. Thursday's Supreme Court ruling will drive an increase in volume as these new patients may see urgent cares as an alternative to the emergency room.

Fortunately, urgent cares have not reached their full capacity and there is continuous growth within the industry that will be able to care for these additional patients. These centers anticipated growth and are staffed with physicians and other providers accept these newly insured patients.

In June, Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA) launched a year-long campaign designed to raise the national understanding about urgent care centers and the care they can provide - non-emergency services on a walk-in basis. With the increase in patients with medical coverage, it is even more important for those patients to fully appreciate their healthcare options. This campaign provides free tools necessary to educate the community and let patients know about the services available at an urgent care.

With the potential increase in patients with medical coverage, it is even more important for these patients to know their healthcare options, therefore, increasing the value and need for urgent care centers.