An urgent care clinic consult costs $236 — but half the patients say they would have gone to a GP
There is a new report on the impact of the clinics.
After four years and some $1.4 billion, a new report on the impact of Medicare urgent care clinics may give fuel to their critics.
Among the findings, the interim evaluation released this month found that the taxpayer cost was $236 per urgent care clinic (UCC) presentation, compared with $617 at an ED.
Based on causal analysis — hospital data before and after a UCC opened nearby — the report found that around 95,000 ED attendances were avoided each year because of the UCCs, saving some $36.2 million.
However, the report does not compare spending per consult at a UCC versus a GP practice, where the Medicare rebate for a standard consult is just $43.90.
