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The Oregon House of Representatives unanimously voted in favor of a bill that would set minimum care standards for Oregon’s urgent care clinics. Proponents describe the proposed legislation as a starting point to help patients choose an urgent care clinic appropriate for their situation because lawmakers believe there is little consistency among urgent cares in terms of the services they provide, according to local news outlet Lookout. The move is set against a backdrop of increasingly long wait times for care in emergency departments around the state. The bill still needs Senate approval.
What’s in the bill? New rules would set minimum clinical service requirements for centers calling themselves “urgent care,” including testing for common respiratory diseases, 12-lead electrocardiograms, care for fractures, and sutures for simple lacerations. Clinics also would need to post their hours of operation, describe their services, note the availability of x-ray, specify the types of clinical professionals delivering care, and post telehealth offerings and the insurance plans they accept. According to Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc, President of Urgent Care Consultants and Senior Editor of JUCM, those in favor of the regulations argue that “real” urgent cares are tired of competing with “express care” clinics that look like urgent cares but send every fracture or complex laceration to the emergency department. They want standards—and the higher reimbursement rates that should come with being a certified, full-service facility. Those opposed warn that strict requirements could force their smaller express care locations to close, reducing access for patients who just need a quick flu test or prescription. Strict standards protect established, high-quality businesses from being undercut by low-service competitors. But they also drive up operating costs in a margin-thin environment. Such regulations also can limit access in rural health areas that cannot support the same high-volume operating model that thrives in cities and suburbs, Ayers says.