Sometimes when you need care fast, the emergency room may be unnecessary. Before you head out, assess the situation to see if it's a true emergency.

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Emergency room or urgent care office. Making the right decision could be the difference between life and death. A serious emergency needs prompt attention.

"Signs of a stroke any life threatening issue. Anytime someone has chest pain and history of heart disease that would constitute an emergency, extreme amounts of blood loss," said Dr. Ed Yoon.

If you do happen to go to the emergency room for an illness that is not life threatening, be ready to wait.

"Time and convenience to go to the emergency department for a sore throat typically waiting up to three to six hours," Yoon said.

Hectic schedules can make it very difficult to get to a physicians office during business hours. If you want to see a doctor for a non emergent illness, and it's after 5 p.m., the weekend, that's when an urgent care facility comes in handy.

"Colds, infections, lacerations or wounds, broken bones, sprains. Ear infections for children, eye infections," said the doctor.

Bills and medical expenses can add up fast, when it comes to your medical visits, know what you will be charged.

The least expensive is probably an office visit with a co-pay a little bit more money would be the urgent care and at an emergency center can run you four times as much.

"The prices will vary but almost 500 to 600 just for a visit. You go there for an issue and you are there the whole day many times it needed but many time we can handle those issues with urgent visits," Yoon said.