Some Urgent Care Operators Are Betting That Focusing on Allergy Care Could Be Lucrative

It’s not unusual for patients experiencing an allergy attack to seek relief at an urgent care center. On the other hand, it is somewhat unusual for an urgent care operator to promote their services with an emphasis on allergy care. The facts are, though, that respiratory complaints drive a large proportion of urgent care visits, and that seasonal allergies are the biggest non-influenza cause. WellNow Urgent Care seems to think it’s time to leverage these factors by establishing WellNow Allergy Centers in the Buffalo, NY area. Patients can schedule an allergy visit online, receive same-day allergy testing, and be prescribed allergy shots that will be shipped to the most convenient WellNow location for administration—all covered by most insurance plans. Many urgent care operators have begun emphasizing certain aspects of their services or dedicating locations to pediatrics, behavioral health, and occupational medicine, among other services, in order to appeal to more patients and employer-customers. With patients already coming in with congestion and other complaints that could be attributed to allergies, it may not be much of a stretch to incorporate allergy services for their benefit—and for the revenue it could drive. Isn’t that better than referring them out?