The Cost of Opening an Urgent Care Center
March 14, 2017
When considering starting an urgent care center, cost could be the first hurdle you have to cross. The cost to open an urgent care varies based on market, goals, and available resources.
Starting an urgent care clinic begins with research, followed by careful planning and development, and finally, a leap of faith.
You can make that leap less scary when you make decisions based on good information and have adequate funding to put your plans in motion.
But how much money will you need to get started and stay in operation during those critical early days while your accounts receivables are maturing? That depends on important variables like location, size, and your real estate arrangement.
Below we walk you through how to open an urgent care center and the major factors contributing to cost, followed by a general estimate of dollars needed.
When starting an urgent care center, prime real estate may be easy to spot, but it’s not always easy to come by. Whether you’re planning to buy, build, or lease clinical space, opening your urgent care in the right location is crucial. Highly visible, high-traffic, easily accessible retail space may require a bigger initial budget, but in the long run, it may pay off with a greater flow of patients.
Geography will also affect your costs. While California is known for its entrepreneurial successes, startup costs in cities across the Golden State are high compared to starting an urgent care clinic anywhere else in the country. On the other hand, cities in the south, like Chattanooga, Louisville, and Wichita are the most startup-friendly based on costs. Salary requirements will also fluctuate based on geography.
Rural, urban, or suburban? No two localities are alike. It may be cheaper to build or lease in a rural area, but you may find it much costlier to find — and pay — providers.
One other important consideration is the accessibility to payer networks. Over the last few years, insurance providers have become more aware of market saturation and are limiting access to new clinics in places where coverage is high.
The average urgent care is about 3,000 square feet, but when starting an urgent care clinic, you should choose the size of your space based on expected patient volume and the services you plan to offer. If you plan to offer exclusively urgent care, you may not need as much space as a clinic offering physical therapy, OccMed, or wellness services. Always choose clinic space with the best location you can afford that offers a workable floor plan. Most importantly, never choose size over location.
Make sure you know how to get more patients in the door – whether visit volume is high or low. Download the eBook How to Increase Patient Volume: Managing the Highs and Lows >>
Do you plan to lease space, build a new office, or buy an existing clinic? Investigate all your options before making a decision as your choice will affect your start-up costs.
Location should always be your first consideration. The majority of urgent care operators, especially those just entering the industry, lease space. In particular markets, situations may be more favorable to either build-to-suit or purchase land and own the property.
Whether you buy, lease, or build, assess the space and the services you plan to offer. And work with an architect and/or designer experienced in the urgent care space. An experienced builder can keep you compliant, make the most of the space, and help you stay within your budget.
Keep in mind that state and local building codes and insurance company guidelines may have some impact on specific design elements, although they do not dictate things like the number of rooms or placement of objects. Some states require special permits and licensure. Be sure to check local regulations.
Considering all the various startup costs — including buildout, equipment, supplies, startup services, and cash on hand — the average cost to open an urgent care clinic is estimated between $850,000 and $1 million. On the high end, the cost could be up to $1.5 million.
On average, most urgent cares begin to break even between 18 and 24 months depending on reimbursement, competition and your marketing efforts. Be sure your funding is adequate for your specific budget.
The good news is, that despite tighter restrictions on loans, funding is available to support a well-planned investment. Most banks offer SBA (Small Business Administration) loans. In fact, some specialize in loans specifically for the healthcare industry. Other sources of funding include grants — especially associated with rural development, physician practice loans, and lines of credit. Finding investors, especially for smaller-scale urgent care providers, can be a little more difficult — but not out of the question.
Make sure your revenue cycle is optimized. Read How to Optimize Your Urgent Care Billing Process to learn how >>
Need more help in starting an urgent care center?
In the past 30 years, we have assisted over 250 urgent care centers, and we have spent hundreds of hours in discussions with many entrepreneurs on how to open an urgent care center.
We have learned from our own mistakes along the way and created a valuable resource to help you succeed in starting an urgent care clinic. Download it below, or you can contact our consultants for a conversation about your specific needs.
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