Medical Centers (EN).png

Unexpected sicknesses and injuries happen. And when you’re not feeling well or you’re having a medical emergency, it’s really important to understand where you can go for help, how much it could cost, and what your rights are at medical centers in the US.  

Medical attention in the US is especially confusing, because there are so many different types of medical care and health centers. The medical center that you go to depends on how quickly you need medical care, how serious your situation is, and if you have insurance or not. There are also medical services that exist to help prevent medical emergencies from happening, such as yearly check-ups, vaccines, and testing. 

Don’t worry, we’re here to help. In this article we explain the difference between: 

  1. Hospital emergency room
  2. Urgent care
  3. Local health centers 

Important notes:  

Healthcare Centers 1 (EN).png

  • No matter what your immigration status is, you have certain rights to health services in the US. To learn more about your health care rights, click here.
  • If you are in an emergency or your life is in danger, call 911 right away. They will help you get emergency medical care as quickly as possible. 
      • Learn more about what it means to call 911 and hotlines in the US here.

  

1. Hospital emergency room 

Healthcare Centers 2 (EN).png

The emergency room (often called the ER) is exactly what it sounds like; it’s a place to go when you have a medical emergency. Here are some things to know about emergency rooms: 

  • 🏥 Emergency rooms are located in hospitals. 
  • 🚑 If you call 911, the ambulance will take you to the ER. 
      • Note: even if you have insurance, ambulance rides in the US can cost a lot of money. If you are in a serious or life-threatening medical situation, don’t wait to call 911. They will help get you to the ER as quickly as possible, and time could save your life. If your injury/sickness causes you to be physically, emotionally or mentally unable to drive yourself, it’s also a good idea to call 911. However, if your condition allows you the time to get a ride (and you have access to a car), it can save you a lot of money to organize your own transportation to the ER.
  • 🤕 You should go to the ER for serious or life-threatening medical emergencies that need to be treated right away. 
      • Examples of illnesses or injuries that you should go to the emergency room for are:
        • A severe allergic reaction
        • Inability to breathe
        • A serious burn or cut
        • A serious injury (like a head or chest injury, or a broken bone)
        • Sicknesses that come on very quickly and affect your whole body
        • Bleeding while pregnant
  • 📅❌ You do not need an appointment to go to an emergency room.
      • Emergency rooms are open 24/7. 
      • When you get to the emergency room, there will be a front desk or reception where you will need to check in. They will ask you for some personal information (like your name and birth date), if you have insurance, and what the reason for your visit to the ER is. 
      • Depending on how serious your emergency is and how busy they are, they may take you to see a doctor right away, or you may have to wait in the waiting room for some time until they call you. They will usually see patients will more serious injuries first. 
  • 🧑‍⚕️ Depending on your injury/sickness, there will be a team of nurses, doctors, and surgeons that may treat you. They have resources to get you specific tests (like an x-ray or MRI) and they can provide life-saving treatments, like surgery.
  • 🛏️ If they need to keep admitted for monitoring or more treatments, they may transfer you to another part of the hospital for long-term care. 
  • 💵 Medical care at an ER costs money.
      • Before you leave the ER, the reception will talk to you about costs and billing options. Depending on if you have insurance or not, you may have to pay an amount of money up front, or they may work out a billing plan with you. 
      • Note: every person in the US has a right to medical treatment at an emergency room, regardless of their immigration status and ability to pay. This means that the hospital is legally obligated to provide you with emergency medical care, whether you are able to pay for it or not. 
        • The hospital may talk to you about payment plans or financial assistance options. 

 

2. Urgent care 

Healthcare Centers 3 (EN).png

For moderate to serious injuries or sicknesses that need to be treated quickly, but are not life-threatening, urgent care could be a better option than the ER.  

  • ⚕️ Urgent care centers are not usually connected to a hospital. They are often located in private buildings. 
  • 🤒 You should go to urgent care for conditions that need to be seen in 24-48 hours, but are not critical or life-threatening. Examples of illnesses or injuries that you should go to urgent care for are:
      • Moderate cold or flu-like symptoms (severe sore throat, moderate fever, vomiting).
      • A minor injury, like a sprain, strain or minor cut that may need stitches.
      • Minor infections that may need antibiotics (like an ear infection, strep throat, or small infected cut). 
  • 📅❌ You do not need an appointment to go to urgent care.
      • However, urgent care centers are usually only open during business hours. For example, they may be open from 8:00am – 8:00pm, or they may be closed on Sundays or weekends. Check the hours of your local urgent care for more information. 
      • Urgent care centers usually operate first-come-first-serve. If you have a minor injury, you could have to wait a long time at an ER, where they prioritize serious injuries. But at an urgent care, your wait may be shorter since they’ll see you in the order that you arrive. 
  • 👩🏼‍⚕️ You can receive care from nurses or doctors at an urgent care, and they usually have some advanced testing and treatment options (like x-rays). 
  • 💵 Treatment at urgent care costs money. 
  • For minor injuries/sickness, urgent care treatment is usually less expensive than treatment at an ER. 
      • If you do not have insurance, urgent care centers may offer you a discount for paying in cash, paying up-front, or they may be able to offer you a payment plan. 

Note: You may also hear the term “walk-in clinic.” Walk-in clinics are very similar to urgent care (you can “walk in” without an appointment and get treatment for minor injuries and illnesses). However, walk-in clinics are usually only able to offer very basic care compared to Urgent Care.   

 

3. Community health centers   

Depending on where you live, there may be community/local health centers (sometimes called clinics, free clinics, or public health centers).  

  • ❤️‍🩹 Local health centers often include services for women and family health, preventative care (like general check-ups, immunizations and testing), and mental health care.  
  • 📆 You may have to make an appointment ahead of time. 
      • Sometimes local health centers will run specific events on certain days, like free STD testing, free dental services, or free vaccines. It’s a good idea to check in with your local health center and keep up-to-date on their events calendar.
  • 💵❌ Most community health centers offer low-cost or free services for uninsured individuals. How much you pay depends on how much money you make.  

Healthcare Centers 4 (EN).png

Many communities also have state or locally funded ‘public health centers.’ Public health centers offer affordable care to those who need it, and they also offer treatment, testing, and vaccines for communicable diseases (like covid-19). Public health centers must offer you these services, regardless of your legal status or ability to pay.  

 

Below are some nationwide programs for low-cost/free health care, as well as some resources for finding local health centers: 

⭐ Planned Parenthood provides low-cost women’s health, sexual health and reproductive health. Planned Parenthood has centers in cities all across the US. Find a health center near you, or sign up for a telehealth appointment (an appointment by phone, video, chat, or text). They also have a chat feature on their website to ask questions.  

⭐  NeedyMeds has an online search directory to help locate free or low-cost health services by city or zip code. You can search a list of coupons (search by the name of the medicine/prescription that you need) to help you get discounts on prescriptions. And they also have a free discount card that can help make your medicine less expensive. Show the pharmacist the discount card/coupons along with your prescription for the medicine. Note: the website is only available in English; if you would like help navigating their resources, please get in touch with us. 

⭐ The National Center for Farmworker Health has a map of clinics that offer healthcare to migrant farmworkers and their families. Note: the website is only available in English; if you would like help navigating their resources, please get in touch with us.  

⭐ The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics has an online directory where you can search for free/low-cost health clinics by city or zip code. The site is available in many languages. Note: not all affordable health clinics will show up in this search, and there may be other options near you that are not part of this network. 

If you need help connecting with local, affordable health centers for preventative or general care, get in touch with us! We’re happy to help connect you with these services.  

If you do not have legal status and you are nervous about whether or not it’s safe for you to seek health care, check out our article about your health care rights as an immigrant.  

 

Sources: 

Daniel Bickley, MD, and Joseph Newberg, MD. (December 2023). Urgent care vs emergency room: What's the difference? https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/health-and-wellness-articles/when-to-go-to-the-emergency-room-vs-an-urgent-care-clinic 

Aetna Health. (Accessed March 2025). ¿Es una urgencia... o una emergencia? https://es.aetna.com/health-guide/medical-emergency-go-er-urgent-care.html