With stripmall ERs, convenience has a price

Patients mistaking them for urgent care centers can develop wallet pains.

By Healthcare Facilities Today


With stripmall ERs, convenience has a price. They are run by medical entrepreneurs and are popping up in strip malls across the country. They can make a lot of money because they charge ER prices. 

A visit that might have cost $200 at an urgent-care center can cost four or five times as much at an ER. Many patients who mistake them for urgent-care centers get sticker shock when the bill comes, according to a story on NPR.org.

"They are usually set up in places where there are high-income patients who are well-insured and who want to see someone quickly," says Vivian Ho, a health economist at Rice University in Houston, Tex.  They're not being built in poor neighborhoods, rural communities or areas with lots of uninsured people.

Read the article or listen to the story.

 

 



August 22, 2013


Topic Area: Interior Design


Recent Posts

Healthcare Security: To Arm Or Not To Arm?

Deciding whether or not to hire armed security personnel requires that managers understand a range of critical considerations.


False Alarm at Kansas Hospital Highlights Importance of Alarm System Reliability

After a two-hour search of the hospital and nearby medical facilities, no threat was found.


Integrated Oncology Network Caught Up in Data Breach

The network first learned of the incident on April 11, 2025.


ISSA Introduces Healthcare Platform to Advance Safer, Cleaner Patient Environments

This new resource integrates training, research and cross-sector collaboration to raise care standards and improve patient outcomes.


Third-Party Tracking Settlement is a Compliance Wake-Up Call for Healthcare Facilities Managers

Mount Sinai Health System agrees to a $5.3 million settlement to resolve claims it improperly shared patient data with Facebook through tracking tools.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.