Urgent-care clinics provide a lot of primary care in New York and elsewhere. We’ve talked about this before here and here, and have also compiled a listing of dozens of options in the five boroughs. Here is a look inside a couple of clinics.
DR Walk-In
11 locations citywide
Times vary by location
Duane Reade Clinics has recently built walk-in clinics into its tonier stores, 11 in all. On a recent afternoon, the clinic on Broadway and 35th had one woman waiting to see a doctor.
The woman at the desk was attentive, asking if I needed help. Services range from prescription refills and treatments for stomach complaints to tests for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The clinics also offer to sign off on paperwork needed for schools or college, which could prove convenient in a pinch.
They are not, however, equipped for X-rays or more serious problems, like broken bones.
These clinics accept most major insurance plans. Out of pocket, a visit costs $188 (though they often offer coupons, so check the site).
According to the woman at the counter, the price does not include blood tests or additional lab tests. The 
clinic did not have any price list posted, nor did they have one they could give me. The number of these clinics around the city makes them a convenient choice for care.
The price is a bit steep as compared to other urgent-care clinics in the city, but one does have the advantage of being able to pick up a prescription, and now groceries as esoteric as Icelandic yogurt, in the same building.
To my mind, the only real disadvantage was how public the clinic felt. Getting a new asthma prescription, that would be no big deal, but were I waiting to hear the results of a pregnancy test, I might not want to watch other women browse for mascara.
New York Doctors Walk-In Urgent Care
65 West 13th Street in Manhattan, near Union Square
Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
New York Doctors feels calm and reassuring. The foyer has nice tiling, and the carpet down the long hallway to the exam rooms is fresh. A circle of comfortable chairs surrounds the desk of the pleasant receptionist. Patients can wait there, though at midday on a recent Thursday, service was swift.
The staff includes board-certified emergency and family practice physicians. They perform routine physicals for children and adults, including those needed for school. They deal with cuts, burns and sprains. While they can perform X-rays on site, the images have to be sent out to a radiologist to be processed.
A visit costs $125, which does not include blood work, lab tests, or other services. Like Duane Reade clinics, New York Doctors accepts most insurance. They do not have a price list posted, nor listed on a sheet for patients. Exact costs depend on the specific condition and scope of care.
The forms patients fill out upon arrival explain the process for paying and claiming clearly. Those forms also ask for basic health information. While the clinic does not suggest that people use it for primary care, they do keep files on records, and patients do return. All files are also accessible to patients online. Location is a big plus for this clinic, which is near several major subways.
