What is the Difference Between Urgent Care and Primary Care?

How do you know when to see a primary care provider or go to urgent care? It is important to know the difference so that you can get the right care when you need it.

What is Primary Care?

Primary care is your primary point of contact for any health issues or questions. A primary care provider (PCP) provides everyday health care and monitors your overall health over the long term. A PCP manages preventative care, routine checkups, and general wellness. When new concerns or symptoms arise, you can also visit your PCP. Your PCP can also make specialist referrals if needed.¹

You can visit a primary care provider for:

• preventative care, such as annual physical exams, vaccines, and cancer screenings
• chronic health condition management, such as diabetes and high blood pressure
• advice on how to stay healthy
• sick visits for colds, flu, and diarrhea
• new or ongoing symptoms like weight loss, pain, rashes, headaches, and insomnia²

A primary care provider who knows you well is invaluable. Since your PCP has a long term relationship with you, they can provide ongoing evaluations for complicated conditions that may not be easily diagnosed or treated with only one visit. They can also identify when something is truly wrong and provide reassurance for concerns that are less likely to harm you.

What is Urgent Care?

Urgent care is for patients who need immediate medical attention for non-life-threatening medical situations, and their PCP is unavailable. Some examples are:

• sprains and strains
• upset stomach, nausea
• severe rashes
• cold or flu symptoms

Urgent care is for medical situations that cannot wait until tomorrow and are not an emergency. If your PCP is unavailable for an appointment and you would like to be seen promptly, you can walk into an urgent care without an appointment and be seen by a medical professional.

What is the Difference Between Urgent Care and Primary Care?

The main difference between seeing an urgent care provider and a primary care provider is the relationship you have with your PCP. In both cases, you receive care from a medical professional; however, your PCP monitors your health on a long-term basis and knows you and your medical history well. An urgent care doctor may not have a record of your medical history, and doesn’t follow up after you leave their clinic.³

When a medical incident occurs, it is important to know where to go to receive appropriate treatment. If a medical incident is not life-threatening, like a sprain or cut, you can get prompt care at an urgent care clinic.⁴ Urgent care is a type of walk-in clinic and does not need a prior appointment. However, urgent care does not replace primary care or your primary care provider.

Your PCP has a holistic understanding of your overall health. Whenever you see your PCP for preventative care visits, routine checkups, and sick visits, your provider gets a more comprehensive view of your overall health. They have access to your medical history and family medical history, can track chronic conditions over time, and can coordinate specialist referrals.⁵ They can also care for urgent illness and minor medical incidents. When possible, it is always recommended to see your PCP when minor medical incidents occur.

When to Choose Primary Care vs. Urgent Care

Primary care is your first stop for non-emergency situations & general health management (including anything that you would go to urgent care for).

Urgent Care is for minor illness or injury that needs medical attention right away.

Accessing the Care you Need

It can be confusing to navigate the US healthcare system, especially if you have newly arrived in the United States. The American healthcare system can be different from your home country. There may be a language barrier with your providers and cultural differences to navigate.

Luckily, we can help. Our providers at Charles B. Wang Community Health Center are highly skilled and multilingual. We also provide healthcare enrollment specialists to guide you through the healthcare cost coverage options that may be available to you in the US.

Finding a Provider

Most of your care will be administered by your primary care provider, so it is important to find a PCP that is the right fit for you. When considering a PCP, you might look for a provider that you trust, who understands your culture, and speaks your language.

Finding the right primary care provider can be challenging. A great first step is to reach out to your personal network, such as friends and family, and see if they have any good recommendations for a PCP.

Another option is to search for a PCP yourself. Where can someone find a PCP? There are a few options: private practices or clinics, hospitals, and community health centers like the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center.

Here, at the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, you can find providers who speak your language, are compassionate, and provide the highest quality care located in Lower Manhattan and Flushing, Queens.

Healthcare Costs

Now that you have a few options for providers, it may be important to understand how to pay for the cost of your care.

Healthcare is usually paid for by health insurance. Some examples include Healthfirst, Metroplus, and Aetna. One can apply for health insurance through the NY State Health Marketplace. Another way to get insured is through your job or employer-sponsored insurance. If you need help with this process, our health insurance enrollment specialists can help.

It is important to note that what’s covered depends on your insurance. Some services insurance will pay for, some will require you pay for yourself, pay a copay, or coinsurance. It is best to reach out to the insurance directly and ask for specific coverage details.

Another option to pay for your healthcare is to pay out of pocket for your care. This option may be more expensive as all services and procedures will be paid from your own pocket. At the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, we can help. If you do not have insurance, we provide a sliding fee discount for our services.

How can the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center fit Into Your Care Plan?

At the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center (CBWCHC), we have multilingual, highly skilled primary care providers.

We provide national award-winning care and service. In fact, we are the most awarded community health center in Manhattan and Queens in 2025. We received multiple awards from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This includes the prestigious Health Center Quality Leader “Gold” award, only granted to the top ten percent of health centers nationwide. Moreover, we are National Quality Leader Gold recipients for Heart Health, Cancer Screening, and Diabetes Health.

For your everyday health needs, we provide ongoing care, preventative screenings, chronic condition management, and sick visits when available.

We also reserve slots for urgent care visits, so call the clinic if you need to be seen the same day, and we will do our best to get you scheduled. Though you may not be able to see your PCP, the provider you see will have access to your full medical record with us and can collaborate with your PCP.

Should you need to use urgent care elsewhere for non-life-threatening issues, we can follow up with your care afterwards. Bring your visit summary to your next CBWCHC visit. This can include medication adjustments, specialist referrals, and lab reviews. As a reminder, for life-threatening symptoms, please call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.

Schedule an appointment and establish your primary care provider with us today.

FAQs

1.   What is the difference between urgent care and the emergency room?

Urgent care is for medical situations that need immediate medical attention but are not life-threatening. The emergency room (ER) is for life-threatening medical situations, such as a heart attack or stroke.³

2.   How do I know if I should wait to see my primary care provider or go to urgent care?

Both your primary care provider and urgent care are able to assist with non-life-threatening medical situations. It is recommended to see your PCP when possible. Your PCP has a holistic picture of your overall health. However, in the case of a medical situation that needs urgent attention and your PCP is unavailable, it is best to see an urgent care center to receive the help you need.

3.   How do I follow up with my primary care provider after an urgent care visit?

For follow-up care, schedule an appointment promptly with your PCP for follow up, especially if your condition needs monitoring.  During your PCP appointment, give details on your urgent care treatment, including medications prescribed or tests administered. This will help your PCP tailor your care. If there are any new or persistent symptoms before your follow-up visit with your PCP, make note of them and tell your primary care provider.