How to find a low-cost walk-in clinic without insurance

Match the problem to the right kind of clinic

The cheapest clinic is the one that can treat your problem on the first visit. A low price does not help if the clinic sends you somewhere else. This list shows where most problems tend to fit, and a clinic can usually tell you when you call whether it treats yours.

• A cold, a sore throat, an earache or a simple skin problem often fits a retail clinic, a health center or a telehealth visit.
• Ongoing care, such as blood pressure checks or refills, fits a health center or a direct primary care doctor.
• A cut that may need stitches, a sprain or a possible broken bone often fits urgent care, because it has more equipment on site.
• Chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of a stroke or heavy bleeding belong in the emergency room.

This list is general information and not medical advice. If you are not sure where to go, ask the clinic or a pharmacist when you call. Our guide on urgent care costs explains when urgent care makes sense.

How do community health centers set their fees?

The Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, is the federal agency that funds community health centers. It says these centers adjust their fees based on income and family size. About 90 percent of health center patients have incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

Health centers treat medical and dental needs as well as mental health, and they serve people with no insurance. Some take walk-ins or same-day visits, but the rules differ by location, so call to ask. Bring proof of income if you have it, since that sets your fee.

HRSA has a Find a Health Center tool on its website that lists the centers near you. Our guide on community health centers explains what to expect, including how the sliding scale works. Bring a photo ID if you have one, and ask what else the clinic needs.

What do retail clinics treat?

A retail clinic is a small clinic inside a store or pharmacy. A 2016 RAND research brief found that these clinics treat a limited range of conditions, such as minor infections and injuries, and give vaccines. A nurse practitioner or physician assistant usually provides the care.

RAND also found that retail clinic prices are typically fixed and transparent. That means they are set and posted ahead of time, so they are easy to compare. We do not have a current national price for you, so ask for the self-pay price for your exact visit and any tests.

Retail clinics are not built for ongoing illness or serious injuries. If your problem is outside what they treat, they will tell you to go elsewhere.

Urgent care and the emergency room

Urgent care often has a higher price than a health center visit. The final price depends on the tests and treatments added to the visit. It can still cost much less than the emergency room for a problem that is not life threatening. Our urgent care cost guide explains how the bill adds up.

In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room, and do not let cost stop you. MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine's health site, lists warning signs from the American College of Emergency Physicians. The signs include chest pain lasting two minutes or more. They also include breathing problems, bleeding that will not stop, sudden weakness or a change in vision, and swelling of the face, eyes or tongue. Our guide on the ER without insurance covers the bill afterward.

Free clinics, telehealth visits and monthly-fee doctors

Free clinics are run by charities and volunteers, and they offer care at no or very low cost. Hours are often limited and they can fill up fast, so call before you go. Our free clinics guide shows how to find one.

Telehealth means seeing a clinician by video or phone. The federal telehealth site says health centers help everyone even if you cannot pay a lot, and some offer telehealth visits. The site says that the cost depends on your insurance status, so ask for the self-pay price before the visit starts.

Direct primary care works on a different model. You pay a doctor a flat monthly fee, usually $50 to $200 a month, and you get visits with little or no extra charge. A doctor who knows you can often see you the same day or answer a question by phone or text. Our guide on direct primary care explains how this works, and the one on the cost of a doctor visit without insurance compares prices.

Finding clinics near you and what to ask

Three simple searches will turn up clinics in most areas. Use the HRSA health center finder, or call 2-1-1 and ask for low-cost clinics. You can also browse our directory of doctors for doctors who list cash prices. The helpline 2-1-1 is confidential, and it connects people to local services including health care help.

Then call the clinic and ask these questions.

1. Do you treat the problem I have, or should I go somewhere else?
2. What is the self-pay price for the visit, and does it include tests?
3. Do you have a sliding scale or a discount based on income?
4. Do I need an appointment, or can I walk in?
5. What papers should I bring?
6. If I need more care, can you tell me the price first?

Write down the answers you get from each clinic. Our guide on asking for a cash price explains more, and so does the one on the good faith estimate. A good faith estimate is a written price estimate that providers generally give to people without insurance.