I was in Columbus, GA with my husband over a long holiday weekend for a softball tournament, and developed a mild earache on the trip here from Charleston, SC. We were both fighting off early symptoms of a cold, and I hoped the ear discomfort would go away, or at least stay mild enough until we got back home and I could go to my preferred urgent care place back home.
Of course, that's not what happened. The earache got worse by the day, and after the 2nd painful night I started thinking about finding an urgent care place in Columbus. The online reviews for most of the places weren't promising, and once I stopped hemming and hawing over whether to go or not, MedCare (the place with the worst reviews) was the only place left open. Faced with another sleepless night with a painful earache, I decided to take my chances at MedCare.
We got there late in the day on a Saturday afternoon Labor Day weekend, and there were only a few cars in the parking lot, so it was a slow time. We were greeted as soon as we opened the door, quickly signed in and given paperwork to fill out. The paperwork CLEARLY stated their payment policies and required a signature that you read and understood. It included the requirement of $100 in advance without insurance coverage (as described in one of the reviews) with a statement that any amounts left over above the clinic visit charges would be refunded after the visit. (That's why the reviewer got $25 back!) My insurance WAS accepted, but since I have a flat 20% co-insurance, I had to pay $50 in advance with the same conditions (as spelled out in the paperwork). There are no surprises if people are truthful when they sign their name stating 'I have read and agree to these terms'. (That means you actually read what you signed!)
We didn't have long to wait once I had all the paperwork filled out and insurance details taken care of. They got us back quickly after that and the nurse took vitals and a quick strep check (I had sore throat too). Doc came in soon after (Dr. Anderson), and examined me. He was kind, thorough, and listened to what I had to say. We talked about treatment options (injections/prescription meds), I told him my preferences, and he wrote the orders. With the office visit, a strep test, two injections (steroid/antibiotic) and 4 prescriptions (oral steroid, oral antibiotic, ear drops, and pain meds), my part of the total bill was $59. (I paid an additional $9 at checkout). I couldn't have asked for better care anywhere else. The doctor and I made the treatment decisions together, he was willing to be as aggressive or as conservative with treatment as I was comfortable with. And we walked out less than an hour after walking in.
That was 24 hours ago. Already my earache is resolving, and I'm glad I went. I couldn't have asked for better treatment. The place wasn't the most state of the art facility, and late on a Saturday on a holiday weekend we could have easily been met by staff impatient to close and get out of there for the holiday, especially since things were so slow.
But that didn't happen. The receptionist, the 1st nurse (or med asst?) who initially took my vitals and strep test, the 2nd nurse who did an awesome job with the injections in my hip (hardly felt them!), and of course Dr. Anderson, ALL of them provided 1st class care, and that's what matters!
If I'm ever back in Columbus, GA and need urgent care again while I am here, I won't hesitate to return to MedCare! read more