Urgent care facilities are on the rise as places for the average consumer to frequent for his healthcare needs. This growth can be explained, in part, by the trend of health insurance companies recommending urgent care facilities to their customers. It is important for customers to know why urgent care facilities are recommended in order to make informed decisions regarding which type of health care provider to visit.

Urgent care facilities are intended for patients who have an illness or injury that requires immediate attention but is not so serious that would warrant a visit to an emergency room. Urgent care facilities are not open continually, like hospital emergency rooms, but their hours are less limiting than traditional doctor's offices. Managed care organizations such as these are a response to the need of the overall public for convenient access to unscheduled medical care. Continued growth has been fueled by the significance of savings that are gained over hospital visits.

Health insurance companies have been responsible for some of the continued demand for urgent care facilities. These health insurance companies operate like most other businesses. They have an understanding of the types of claims that are filed that raise the costs of doing business. Emergency room visits are costly to health insurance companies, although these same health insurance companies may also realize the importance of having access to hospital emergency rooms as key to peoples' health. The problem is that sometimes situations do arise where a family doctor is not available, but the patient requires medical care. The injury or illness might not be life threatening, but the patient does require medical attention and possibly medicine. Before, this patient would only be able to go to a hospital, although a well-supplied medical office and staff would have been able to handle the situation if they were available. Urgent care facilities have been able to prosper through the convenience of their availability, which health insurance companies encourage their customers to take advantage of.

Health insurance relies upon urgent care facilities to lower costs and save time for themselves and their clients. These facilities are able to treat urgent medical needs in a specified time period for an agreed upon price. They do not have all the overhead and staff that is required of a hospital, so therefore they do not charge as much for the services provided. This allows the health insurance companies to save money in the amount of claims paid out. Health insurance companies encourage their clients to benefit their bottom line, but, at the same time, clients are pleased patients of these facilities because they save time and money also.