Don't turn your nose up at community clinics. I am still trying to convince a friend of mine with insurance to go to one. There was a long wait, but when I got in to see the medical staff and the doctor were much nicer and more thorough than the personnel at my paid HMO! And there were meds, gratis, too, if you qualified!
Do you mean the clinics they're setting up in local Walmarts and such? Local tv did a story on them recently, and found that they're excellent for basic things like strep throat and colds and flu, and can be a real time-saver. They showed mom and child in and out in 20 minutes before school for child's strep throat. (I guess he went to school with it.)
Doctors complained that the clinics are taking away their business, of course, and that clinics can miss more serious problems. But doctors can miss things too. I think if you know your own body, you can usually tell if the problem is serious. You just have to be a good consumer, and ask if the person seeing you is a doctor or a nurse-practitioner or PA (physician's assistant), and decide for yourself if they can help you. Best to check them out before you need them.
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