Yes. Most urgent care clinics run lab work, and the useful question is which tests come back during your visit and which get sent to an outside laboratory. That difference decides whether you leave with an answer or a phone call two days later.
What runs on site at Maxem Health
Maxem Health clinics hold CLIA-waived status for a set of point-of-care tests, meaning the result is available before you leave. Those include:
- COVID-19
- Influenza
- Strep
- RSV
- Urinalysis
- H. pylori
- Mono
- Pregnancy
Alongside these, clinics offer EKG, on-site X-ray and STD testing.
What gets sent out
Anything requiring a full laboratory. Maxem clinics draw the sample in-clinic and send it to an off-site lab, which covers a much wider range of tests than the rapid panel above. Physicians and outside medical facilities can also send patient orders to Maxem for collection and send-out.
Two practical consequences. First, send-out results take days rather than minutes. Second, and more important for your wallet: lab work performed by an outside facility is not covered by the Maxem Health Discount Program, and is billed by that laboratory separately. Ask at check-in which category your test falls into.
What the visit looks like
A provider examines you and orders testing only where the result will change what happens next. Blood is drawn in the clinic. Rapid tests are run immediately and discussed during the same visit. Send-out samples are packaged and dispatched, and you are told how and when results will reach you.
If you have been told to fast for a test, ask before you go. Most rapid urgent care testing does not require fasting, but a send-out panel might.
When urgent care is the wrong place for blood work
Urgent care lab testing answers a question about why you are ill today. It is not built for routine monitoring of a chronic condition, and it does not replace the relationship with a primary care doctor who tracks your results over time. If you need periodic monitoring for diabetes, thyroid function or cholesterol, that belongs with your regular provider.
When to skip urgent care and go to the ER
Urgent care is for problems that are not life threatening. Go to the emergency room or call 9-1-1 if you have any of the following:
- Severe chest pain
- Severe shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Suspected poisoning
- Severe abdominal pain
- Uncontrolled bleeding
- Confusion or change in mental status
- Sudden fainting, dizziness, numbness or weakness
- Coughing or vomiting up blood
- Injury to head or neck
- Extreme high fever
If you are experiencing any of these, call 9-1-1 immediately. Do not drive yourself.
What it costs
Maxem Health accepts most major insurance plans. For self-pay patients, in-clinic testing falls under the Discount Program’s flat per-visit co-pay, which is $60 per visit for an individual after a $175 setup fee covering the first visit. Outside lab work is excluded and billed separately by the laboratory.
Frequently asked questions
How long does blood work take at urgent care?
Rapid on-site tests such as strep, flu, COVID, RSV and urinalysis come back during the visit. Anything sent to an outside laboratory takes days.
Can urgent care do a full blood panel?
Maxem Health draws samples in-clinic and sends them to an off-site laboratory for tests beyond the rapid panel. The draw happens at the clinic; the result comes later.
Is blood work covered by the Discount Program?
On-site testing is. Lab work performed by an outside facility is excluded and billed by that laboratory. Confirm which applies before the test is run.
Do I need an appointment for blood work?
No. Maxem Health clinics are walk-in seven days a week. You can save your spot online to shorten the wait.
Walk in at a Maxem Health clinic
Maxem Health Urgent Care has 15 clinics across Mississippi, Louisiana and Oregon, open seven days a week including holidays. Most clinics run Monday to Saturday 8am to 8pm and Sunday 9am to 6pm, though hours vary by location. No appointment needed. Walk in, or save your spot online before you leave the house.
Save your spot at your nearest Maxem Health clinic, or find clinic addresses and hours.
This article is general health information, not medical advice. It does not replace an evaluation by a licensed provider. If you are worried about your symptoms, get seen.