Finding doctors, telehealth services, urgent care options, and overcoming barriers to healthcare access across the United States.
Getting medical care in the United States shouldn't be this hard, but it is. Primary care shortage areas rose to 8,467 in 2025, affecting 92.3 million people. The average wait for a new-patient appointment is 31 days. About 26 million Americans have no insurance at all. Even people with coverage struggle to find doctors accepting new patients.
This section covers the options that exist right now: telehealth, urgent care, community health centers, and strategies for finding a primary care doctor. Data comes from HRSA, the CDC, and the Urgent Care Association.
76% of U.S. hospitals now offer telehealth. For conditions that don't need a physical exam, virtual visits are faster and cheaper than going in person. A telehealth urgent care visit runs $75 to $99 without insurance (or $0 with many plans), compared to $150 to $280 at in-person urgent care or $2,715 at the ER. We compare the major platforms (Teladoc, Amwell, MDLIVE, GoodRx Care, Doctor On Demand) and cover telehealth for mental health, which has the highest virtual utilization of any specialty at 28%.
There are about 11,877 urgent care clinics in the U.S. and 78% of the population lives within a 10-minute drive of one. Knowing when to use urgent care instead of the ER saves money (10x cheaper on average) and often gets you seen faster. Between 37% and 82% of pediatric ER visits are nonurgent. Our guides cover which conditions need the ER and which don't, with specific lists for adults and children.
HRSA projects a shortage of 70,610 primary care physicians by 2038. If you can't find a PCP, alternatives include community health centers (1,512 FQHCs operating 17,000+ locations, serving 32.4 million patients on sliding fee scales), direct primary care ($70 to $150/month for unlimited visits), telehealth primary care, and nurse practitioner clinics. We cover all of these plus how to get care without insurance.
About 46 million Americans live in rural areas where 194 hospitals have closed since 2005 and 768 more are at risk. Metro residents use telehealth at twice the rate of rural residents. We cover Rural Emergency Hospitals, FQHCs in rural areas, and federal programs designed to keep care accessible outside cities.
46 million Americans live in rural areas. 194 hospitals have closed since 2005. Here are the options for getting care when the nearest clinic is miles away.
26 million Americans are uninsured. Community health centers, telehealth, and direct primary care can get you seen for $20 to $150. Here's how.
WellNow operates 201 locations across 7 states. Walk-in visits average $150 to $280 without insurance. Here's what they offer and where to find them.
Online doctor visits cost $40 to $90 without insurance vs. $136 to $176 in person. Here's how they work, what they treat, and what to expect.
The average wait for a new primary care appointment is 31 days. HRSA projects a shortage of 70,610 PCPs by 2038. Here are 6 ways to find one.
29% of urgent care patients are under 21. Up to 82% of pediatric ER visits are nonurgent. Here's when kids need urgent care and what it costs.
Aetna offers $0 copay Teladoc primary care visits starting in 2026. Here's what telehealth services Aetna covers and how to access them.
Mental health has the highest telehealth usage of any specialty at 28%. Here's how to find an online psychiatrist, what it costs, and what to expect.
GoodRx Care visits start at $19 with Gold or $49 without. It's one of the cheapest telehealth options. Here's what you get and what to watch for.
Telehealth urgent care visits cost $75 to $99 without insurance and complete in about 15 minutes. Here's how it works and who offers it.
Urgent care costs $150 to $280. The ER averages $2,715. Here's which conditions need the ER and which can be handled at urgent care.
8,467 primary care shortage areas affect 92 million Americans. Here's how to find a doctor, use telehealth, and get care when the system falls short.
Teladoc, Amwell, MDLIVE, Doctor On Demand, and GoodRx Care compared by price, availability, and specialties. Here's which one fits your needs.
Original research from the Center for Studying Health System Change
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