Originally Posted by
hamster
Shockingly, not all people can afford to pay $5000 to visit ER, sit in a crowded waiting room surrounded by contagious sick people for 6 hours, have a cursory inspection by an underpaid resident who's been up continuously for 34 hours, and get a diagnosis that one could arrive at with a few minutes of googling.
First off, there are 2 separate issues you're bringing up: the cost and a diagnosis. What others are pointing out is that there's no way someone can say remotely, with no access to any kind of screening results, what the OP's situation might be.
OP, I wouldn't go to an emergency room, rather to an urgent care facility in your area -- if you have them. They have the same diagnostic equipment, doctors who were trained in urgent care and much shorter wait times. Add to that, you'll likely pay less as well.