An aging U.S. population is reshaping Urgent Care operations. As demand from older patients rises and clinician shortages persist, Urgent Care providers face growing capacity constraints. Urgent Care operators need to prepare.
High‑ED‑Volume States in 2025: The Urgent Care Opportunity Map
A state‑by‑state map of hospitals with the most emergency department visits in 2025 reveals where ED demand is highest and why Urgent Care visibility and community awareness matter more than ever.
2025 Recap: New Urgent Care Centers
Urgent Care growth in 2025 continued to reflect a maturing industry focused on scale, access, and comprehensive on-site services. A...
Guilty Until Proven Otherwise? The Rise of Automatic Downcoding by Payers.
Health insurers are increasingly using automatic downcoding to reduce payments based on the assumption that physicians are upcoding — often without reviewing the medical record. This shift places added financial and administrative strain on practices, particularly in high-acuity, high-volume settings like Urgent Care, and raises concerns about fairness, transparency, and the long-term impact on patient access to care.
Anthem: Out of Network Payment Penalties
Starting January 1, 2026, Anthem BCBS will introduce a 10% reimbursement penalty for hospitals in 11 states when out-of-network physicians treat their members. Driven by the No Surprises Act’s impact on insurer costs, the policy applies to non-emergent OON care at in-network hospitals, with rural and safety-net facilities carved out for now.
Every U.S. State Fails on Healthcare Cost: None Earned Better Than a D
Disappointing but not surprising... This recent West Health-Gallup Center for Healthcare in America report: “State of the States 2025: Insights on Healthcare in America” ranks all states on cost, quality and access and the U.S. is definitely not going to the head of the class.
“Inside Day One of the CalUCA 2025 Western Regional Urgent Care Conference in California
I am fortunate to be attending the 2025 California Urgent Care Association (CalUCA) Western Regional Conference in Irvine, California. The...
The State of Urgent Care – CALIFORNIA
Tomorrow I am headed to the CalUCA Western Regional Conference 10/22-10/24 in Irvine California! Perfect timing for an overview of CA. Click the link in my post to learn more about Urgent Care in this great state!
Incorporating Urgent Care Reduces Inappropriate ER Visits
Emergency departments are seeing a 6% rise in emergent visits, while urgent visits have remained flat, according to Vizient Sg2. To preserve ER capacity and improve throughput, health systems are encouraged to redirect low-acuity patients to alternative care sites like Urgent Care centers. Proper care setting utilization reduces costs, improves outcomes, and enhances patient satisfaction. Explore key ED trends, including average length of stay, visit forecasts through 2035, and payer mix shifts. Urgent Care remains a convenient, cost-effective solution for non-emergency needs.
Ambulatory “Boom” Expected for Health Systems
In this article Becker’s Hospital Review outlines indicators that the growth of the ambulatory segment of health systems is about to see exponential growth. While this expected growth is beyond just the Urgent Care space (ASCs for example), UCCs are part of the plan.
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