AFC Doctors Express Urgent Care

Heather,
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. To clarify, I don’t have an HMO. The insurance that was declined is Horizon NJ Direct. It is a PPO (says so on the card). I’ve never had to obtain a referral for treatment, and the insurance has been accepted throughout the Main Line. Even if it’s out of network, I believe Horizon will pay 80 percent. I’m just letting you know because I’m still astounded that you won’t accept this plan. Your facility is close by, and it would be nice to know that my family and I could obtain care during an emergency.
Thank you.
Jeannie

We were really excited to have a reason to give this location a shot-​great hours and close to home!
Sadly, either the website is wrong or the office is wrong.
We called to schedule an annual physical and a general blood test (you don’t need an appointment but you can make one).
She responded they are «not a lab» and we would need to go to a primary care physician for a physical as AFC addresses «urgent care issues.» She wasn’t mean or nice about it she just kept repeating those phrases with no additional explanation.
So fine, if you step on a nail or cut your finger it seems like this place would be able to assist but otherwise there is a vast disconnect between what the website says they can address and what the office says they will address-​which seems like a pretty important discrepancy b/​c according to their website they «do physicals» and they «are a lab.» State-​of-​the-​art, even
***************** Services according to their website (emphasis added)
Urgent Care: From acute illness due to virus or infection, to minor wounds and other injuries, we offer convenient, fast and affordable treatment.
Adults & Children: Our board certified physicians are experienced in treating patients of all ages, from infants, to the elderly. We are family friendly.
Acute Illness: Acute illnesses are typically those of rapid onset, brief and oftentimes, severe in nature. We have state of the art equipment and the resources necessary for acute care.
Trauma: We offer treatment for non life-​threatening injuries such as cuts and fractures. Some cuts (or lacerations) must be stitched to heal correctly. Typically, fractures are diagnosed via x-​ray and then the bone must be set to heal properly.
Minor Surgical Care: Cuts, puncture wounds and foreign body removal are all treatable at AFC/​Doctors Express. Our expert staff can treat these painful injuries quickly and efficiently.
Occupational Medicine: No matter what your industry, we can provide pre-​employment screenings as well as injury management for your employees.
Sports Injuries: We will diagnose and treat sports-​related injuries. Some common sports injuries are sprains & strains, fractured bones, cuts, and bumps and bruises. We have the full compliment of bandages, splints, casts and/​or braces to ensure complete care of your injury.
**** Sports & Camp Physicals: We are a convenient option for physicals, often required by Narberth school sports.
Pre-​Operative Exams: We can get your pre-​operative exam with no appointment necessary to get you on the road to recovery that much quicker.
Allergy Testing: AFC/​Doctors Express Narberth has recently partnered with AllerVision to help provide our patients with quick and accurate Allergy testing!
Travel Medicine: We offer most all vaccines required for overseas travel, so there is no need to visit the Health Department. Come in when it’s convenient for you. Bön voyage!
**** Lab Work: We provide on-​site testing while you wait, with our state-​of-​the-​art CLIA certified laboratory, will get the testing done quickly and efficiently. We also offer TB, Strep, Flu and STD Testing.
Digital X-​Ray: Is it broken or just sprained? Our X-​Ray is on site, so results are interpreted while you wait. At your request, we will provide a copy of your X-​Ray for you to take to your Primary Care Physician or a Specialist.
Non-​English Speakers: We will happily provide access to an interpreter, via a confidential phone service, if needed.

As usually accidents happen during the weekend –at least to me– and I have gone to a few emergency rooms or clinics. So this time, when I twisted my foot and it was swollen and painful I decided to shop around. I called to ask for the wait time and I decided to go to this clinic. I am very happy I did. Almost zero waiting time, very efficient staff, a very competent and personable doctor. I am very pleased with the visit! I highly recommend them and if or when I have another emergency on a weekend I will go there again

My family has been here at least 8 occasions with assorted ailments (e.g. strep throat, UTI, excessive ear wax, infection cultures, wound injury, vaccines…) Except for one LPN, the staff including the doctors, consistently excels at diagnosis and treatment course as well as short waiting room time and careful discussions with us about our medical ailment. They also know what are their medical limitations. When a nasty infection culture revealed a particularly virulent and dangerous strain, we were immediately advised to go to the ER for specialized treatment.
We had one unpleasant encounter: One LPN wore a mighty strong perfume which precipitated migraines in us. She didn’t to understand that, because of her «perfume,» (a) we wanted her to physically stay away from us, and (b) we needed to be moved to another room because her ‘odor’ lingered in the air. Rather than fruitlessly continue to try to explain to her our problem with her, I, ultimately, had to adopt the always effective ‘scolding Mommy’ tone of voice. We discussed our concerns about her with the doctor; perhaps it’s a coincidence, but we never saw her again. (Or, maybe, they hide her when we’re there?)
Save for Ms. Stinky Perfume, our experiences there have been excellent. BTW, our insurance is processed accurately and quickly.

I had a great experience, at least as much as one can when sick. I came in with a sore throat. The office was clean and professional, and there was no wait. They processed my insurance right away, and I was just responsible for the copayment.
The front desk staff, medical assistant, and doctor were all friendly and professional. I got strep test results back instantly and had a nice talk with the doctor about the results (yep, strep).
I was going to get antibiotics from the nearby pharmacy, which takes forever, but I asked and it turns out that they sold generics there, so I took some home for just a few dollars more than if I had waited. They didn’t offer, since they didn’t want to pressure me to buy anything, which I appreciated as well.
The whole thing took 20 minutes!
Friends who have taken children were similarly happy. I’ll go back again for my next minor illness. It was faster, nicer, and even cleaner than my usual PCP at Lankanau!

I went here for a slice on my finger from a metal Sterno. I was taken in immediately and I thought the care I got was perfect. I needed a few minor stitches and a tetanus shot and was able to receive both here with no issues. The place is clean and the staff was very nice. I would recommend this to others.

I have spent my entire professional career working the «business» end of health care. Everything from billing clerk to provider rep to project management. Over these many years — more than 20 — I have come to appreciate the difference between practices that are focused on the patient and those that are focused on the money.
We decided to take the Young ‘Un here to have a minor injury checked. We have a «primary» commercial coverage, and, thanks to the Rev’s military service, Tricare.
As this is not an area with a lot of military presence, we stick with health systems and larger chains, of which Doctor’s Express is one. They generally understand how Tricare coordinates, how to file, etcetera. We have learned, and even have been told by billing offices, not to pay primary copay. Having the balance compels billing systems file the secondary. Also, takes months to get a refund of our overpayment.
The location is convenient with decent parking. The waiting room is clean and spacious.
They were also insisting on collecting our primary carrier copay even after calling Tricare (I had to provide the number) and confirming coverage and that our deductible was met. Unless Tricare guaranteed 100% that they would reimburse every dime. We were refused care until we paid them what we know we would ultimately never owe.
Because they are about the money.
We left.