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It is Saturday morning. My 5-year-old son has a fever and is crying as he holds his left ear, cringing with pain. My husband is gone with our older son and I am home with our two younger sons. I realize I have no choice but to take my son in to see a doctor. What are my options? Our pediatrician is only open for a few hours and is usually booked solid on a Saturday. The pediatric urgent care is a half hour away. I don’t even want to think about how long I would have to wait with a five and two year old at a regular urgent care. Then I remembered that two drug store chains have certain locations that have clinic and a nurse practitioner on site. After a few minutes of searching locations online, I find one that is five minutes from my house with this service. As the cries from my son grow louder, I grab my purse, keys, shoes and kids, in hopes that the wait won’t be long.
I easily find the clinic in the back of the store near the pharmacy. I check in at the computer and find out that there are two people ahead of us. Each visit lasts about 30 minutes and the wait for a sick five year old, energetic two-year-old and their also sick Mom was almost unbearable. At last, my son’s name is called and the three of us hover in the doorway as the medical professional inside quickly wipes down the room with cleaning cloths.
She completes our information in the computer and asked for my insurance card. After checking my plan, she informs me that my insurance doesn’t cover the visit. My son is lying in pain on the table and we have just waited longer than an hour to be seen. There is no question in my mind as I stare at my sick little boy, “I will pay for it,” I tell her. The diagnosis for my son is an ear infection and probable strep. In the time that we have been waiting, he has developed a full body rash, likely caused by the strep. I pay the $84 dollars and prepare myself to wait another 15 minutes for his prescription to be filled.
The very next day, we are back for another hour and a half wait, this time for my oldest son, who is running a fever and complaining of a sore throat, as well as for myself. I am pretty sure that my head cold has advanced to a sinus infection. It is no surprise this time that my insurance doesn’t cover the visits but I am feeling so miserable that I am happy to pay the additional $168 just to be able to get some antibiotics for my son and myself. My son tests positive for strep (the test is an additional $20 charge). With much relief, we are both given prescriptions to fight our bacterial infections.
Later that day, my youngest son started to run a fever and my husband takes him right over to the same clinic. He indeed has an ear infection and is also given an antibiotic to treat it.
So overall, I have to say that I recommend the clinic. The nurse practitioner was very thorough and I was extremely impressed when she called two days later to follow up with my family and see how everyone was doing with the antibiotics. Of course, I wish it would have been covered by my insurance (the weekend cost us over $350, plus the cost of the six prescriptions co-pays) and the wait was very difficult with kids. But based on my experience, I would go back. It is comforting to know this is an option when you are sick.
Add a Comment2 Comments
The first new rule says you HAVE to have insurance. Both my husband and I have pre-existing conditions, and although the new bill says we can't be denied coverage because of it. So far, the cheapest health insurance we've been able to find is called "Wise Health Insurance" search for it online if you are pre-existing conditions.
December 23, 2010 - 10:25pmThis Comment
Love your first-person approach to your retail clinics story.
Re: "After a few minutes of searching locations online, I find a Walgreens that is five minutes from my house with this service."
did you search first one clinic chain's site, then the other? There's an easier, faster way to locate convenient care clinics: Healthcare 311 (www.healthcare311.com). Cuts your search/find time from minutes to seconds!
December 23, 2010 - 8:05amThis Comment