How to Get Urgent Care at Home in New York & New Jersey

What urgent care at home is

It is a visit from a licensed medical provider for a problem that needs attention today and is not life-threatening. The provider brings the equipment for an exam and for rapid tests. You get an evaluation, a diagnosis where one can be made, treatment or a prescription when appropriate, and a clear plan for what happens next.

It is the same category of care as a walk-in urgent care clinic. The difference is the setting.

What it is good for

These are the kinds of problems a house call commonly handles:

• Cold and flu symptoms, cough and fever
• Sore throat, including testing for strep
• Sinus pain and ear pain
• Urinary symptoms
• Stomach bugs and food poisoning, including dehydration
• Pink eye
• Seasonal allergies
• Minor rashes
• Headaches

The provider decides at the visit what can be treated at home. If your symptoms point to something that needs imaging, a specialist or a hospital, they will tell you and help you with the next step.

What cannot be done at home

• Emergencies. Chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of stroke, heavy bleeding, a serious injury, a severe allergic reaction, or confusion need 911 or an emergency room.
• Imaging. There is no X-ray or CT scan on a house call. A possible fracture or a head injury needs a facility that has them.
• Controlled medications. These are not prescribed on house calls.
• Deep cuts that need more than basic wound care.

How it works, step by step

1. Call or text (332) 239-2005, or request a visit on the site. Tell us in general terms what is going on. Leave detailed health information for the provider.
2. A person replies within 5 minutes, 8 AM to 11 PM, seven days a week. If what you describe sounds like an emergency, we will tell you to call 911.
3. We confirm a time. Visits are often the same day, depending on your area.
4. The provider arrives at your home, office or hotel with what is needed for your symptoms.
5. Exam and history. Temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen level, and a physical exam focused on the problem.
6. Testing if needed. Rapid tests give results during the visit. If blood work is needed, it is drawn on the spot and sent to the lab.
7. Treatment. This may be advice and home care, a prescription sent to your pharmacy, an injection, or IV fluids for dehydration.
8. A plan. What to expect, what to watch for, when to follow up, and a referral if you need a specialist.

Tests and treatments available at the visit

• Rapid tests: COVID-19, strep, flu and urinalysis
• Blood draw for lab testing
• Injections ordered by the provider, such as anti-nausea medication
• IV fluids for dehydration, and vitamin drips where appropriate
• Prescriptions sent to your local pharmacy when the provider judges them appropriate
• Flu shots

What it costs

A doctor house call is $799, with travel included. Rapid tests, blood draws, injections and IVs are priced separately and are listed when you book, so you know the total before the visit. We do not bill insurance. You receive an itemized receipt that you can submit to your plan, which may or may not reimburse you.

A house call costs more than a walk-in clinic. People choose it for the time it saves, for privacy, and because the sick person does not have to travel.

Who tends to choose it

• Parents with a sick child and other children at home
• Older adults and people with limited mobility
• Professionals who cannot lose half a day
• Visitors staying in hotels, far from their own doctor
• People who are too unwell to travel comfortably, or who do not want to sit in a room full of other sick people
• Households where several people are ill at once

A video visit may be enough

Some problems can be assessed without an exam in person: mild cold symptoms, a rash you can show on camera, pink eye, a medication question. A video visit costs less and can happen sooner. If the provider decides you need to be seen in person, they will say so.

How to prepare

• Write down your symptoms and when they started.
• Have a list of your medications, allergies and medical conditions.
• Take your temperature if you can.
• Know which pharmacy you use.
• Choose a well-lit room with somewhere to sit or lie down.
• If the visit is at a hotel or a building with a front desk, let them know a medical provider is coming.

When to skip the house call and get emergency care

Call 911 for chest pain or pressure, trouble breathing, face drooping, arm weakness or slurred speech, fainting, a seizure, severe bleeding, a severe allergic reaction, or a baby under three months with a fever of 100.4°F or higher. For more detail, see Urgent Care vs. Emergency Room: Where Should You Go?

About Zen IV Spa

We bring non-emergency medical care to homes, offices and hotels anywhere in New York & New Jersey: doctor house calls, video visits, rapid testing, blood draws at home and IV therapy. Our nurses are licensed, and our medical director oversees every service. We are not emergency care.

See Doctor House Calls.

Quick answers

Can a doctor really come to my home the same day? Often, yes. Availability depends on your area and the time of day.

What does a house call cost? $799 with travel included. Tests and treatments are extra and are listed before you book.

Can I get a prescription? Yes, when the provider judges it appropriate. It is sent to your pharmacy. Controlled medications are not prescribed.

Can I get tested for strep, flu or COVID-19 at home? Yes. Rapid tests give results during the visit.

Do you take insurance? No. You get an itemized receipt to submit to your plan yourself.

Can you come to my hotel or office? Yes.

What if I need an X-ray? The provider will refer you to a facility that has imaging.

Is this a replacement for my regular doctor? No. It is for problems that need attention today. Keep your regular doctor for ongoing care.

Sick today and want to stay home? Call or text (332) 239-2005.

All treatments are medical services. Every guest is screened, and every treatment is provided only under the clearance, prescription or standing protocol of a licensed medical provider. Compounded peptides are not FDA-approved unless stated. Nothing on this page is a diagnosis or a promise of results.