Heck, even pre-Covid it was almost impossible to get in to your primary within a couple days. The medical groups around here have turned urgent care into the compromise between three weeks to see your doctor and going to the emergency room.
Exactly.
I love urgent care! (Before they got that name, there were a few enterprising start-ups that just called “walk-in clinic”…which is exactly what it is.)
I’m still waiting for house calls to return.
You’re right, but unfortunately I don’t think they’re just putting doctors out of business; I believe they are preparation for elimination of some hospitals themselves. My town’s hospital and ER closed years ago (still functioning as some kind of medical facility, but not for walk-ins), but we now have an urgent care clinic and a CVS (which are apparently starting to function as clinics as well).
Otoken used to talk about this stuff when expounding on the virtues of Obamacare, and I assumed he openly accepted that our healthcare system would look like an African one with UN clinics instead of real hospitals.
I take my temp and use my oximeter...and watch for any coughing or breathing difficulty.
But mostly...because I'm old (78)...I rarely am out...and it's in a store for a few minutes.
Going out gives me some fresh air...and I park my car far away so I get an extra dose of fresh air and exercise.