Walk-in care · Bolingbrook, IL
Telehealth Visits With Our Bolingbrook Clinic
Pioneer Physicians Urgent Care offers telehealth visits from our Bolingbrook, IL clinic for health problems that do not need a hands-on exam or a lab test. Phone (630) 914-5373 to find out if your symptoms suit a virtual visit. If a swab or an X-ray seems likely, walk in instead. We’re open 8 AM to 8 PM every day, and no appointment is needed.
- Open 7 days, 8 AM to 8 PM
- Walk-ins welcome
- X-ray and rapid tests on site
- Kids and adults
- Medicare and Medicaid plans accepted
How telehealth works at our Bolingbrook clinic
A telehealth visit is a medical visit over a phone or video connection instead of in an exam room. MedlinePlus says telemedicine is sometimes used as another name for it, and virtual visit and virtual care describe the same idea. Here, telehealth is part of Pioneer Physicians Urgent Care itself, so the practice behind your virtual visit also runs the exam rooms on S Bolingbrook Dr.
If the provider decides you need a test, the next stop is our own building. X-ray, EKG, urinalysis and rapid swabs for strep, flu and COVID are all handled under the same roof.
Telehealth is most useful when leaving home is the difficult step. MedlinePlus counts getting care at home, especially for people who can’t easily reach a provider’s office, among its benefits. Think of a parent with a napping toddler, or an adult who feels too achy to drive.
What can be treated by telehealth
Telehealth suits problems a provider can judge by hearing your story and, on video, seeing the spot that bothers you. MedlinePlus includes sinusitis, UTIs and common rashes among the urgent care problems that can be handled this way. Cleveland Clinic adds pink eye, minor muscle and joint injuries, and questions about test results.
Common reasons to consider a virtual visit include:
- Cold symptoms, congestion or sinus pressure
- Red, itchy or crusty eyes
- A rash you can show on camera
- A question about a treatment plan or a recent result
- A mild strain, when you want advice on whether it needs an X-ray
The provider makes the final call
Some of these problems turn out to need a test, and that is normal. A stuffy nose that has lasted weeks, for example, may call for a closer look. Our symptom guides explain sinus infections, pink eye and rashes in more detail.
Telehealth visit or walk in?
| Topic | Telehealth visit | Walk in at the clinic |
|---|---|---|
| How to start | Call (630) 914-5373 and ask for a telehealth visit | Walk in any day, no appointment needed, or book a spot online |
| Where you are | Home or another private place; outside Illinois, call us first | 148 S Bolingbrook Dr, Bolingbrook, IL |
| Good fit for | Questions, rechecks and problems you can describe or show | Anything that needs a swab, an X-ray or a physical exam |
| Rapid strep, flu and COVID tests | Not possible by phone or video | Done during the visit |
| Urine test and EKG | Not possible by phone or video | Done during the visit |
| X-ray, splints and crutches | Not possible by phone or video | On site every day we are open |
| Blood work | Not possible by phone or video | Drawn in our clinic, then processed by an outside lab |
When you should walk in instead
Come to the clinic when the answer depends on a test or a hands-on exam, because a camera cannot swab a throat or take an X-ray. MedlinePlus points out that some diagnoses cannot be made without an in-person exam, and some need a lab test first. These situations usually point to an in-person visit:
- A sore throat where strep is a real possibility, since a swab is how strep is confirmed
- Fever with body aches, where a rapid flu or COVID test can help sort out the cause
- Pain or burning when you urinate, where a urine sample helps confirm a UTI
- A hard fall or a rolled ankle that might call for an X-ray, a splint or crutches
- Anything that needs blood work, which we draw here and send to an outside lab
In person only, or not offered here
Physicals, including DOT, sports, school and annual exams, involve a hands-on exam, so we do them at the clinic. Our clinic does not give childhood vaccinations, and we have no CT or MRI. See our pages on X-ray with splints and crutches and lab testing and EKG for what is on site.
How to start a telehealth visit
Phone the clinic during its daily 8 AM to 8 PM hours and mention that you want a telehealth visit. Describe the problem in a sentence or two. Then ask whether a virtual visit suits it, whether it would happen by phone or on video, and when it can take place.
If you would rather be seen in an exam room, walk in or save a spot through the online booking page. We are not a 24-hour clinic. In the evening, that page lists in-person times for the next day.
Not sure if telehealth fits your problem?
Call (630) 914-5373 and describe what is going on. If you expect to need a test, walk in without an appointment or save your spot online.
What happens during a virtual visit
A virtual visit covers much of the same ground as an office visit, through conversation. The provider asks what brings you in, when it started and what you have tried. Expect the usual questions about your health conditions, medicines and allergies, just as in an exam room.
If there is something to see, such as a rash, a swollen ankle or a red eye, the provider may ask you to hold it up to the camera. A clear photo taken beforehand can help too. For children, HealthyChildren.org explains that a doctor can also watch a child’s activity level, breathing and general state on video.
You finish with a plan. It may be home care and what to watch for, a trip to the clinic for a test, or advice to go to an emergency room. Cleveland Clinic notes that after a virtual visit a provider can send a prescription to your pharmacy when one is needed, and that some medicines, such as controlled substances, may need an in-person visit before they can be prescribed.
What to have ready before the call
A little preparation makes a phone or video visit run more smoothly. Keep these within reach:
- Your insurance card and a photo ID
- Names of all your medicines and supplements, over-the-counter ones too, and any allergies
- When your symptoms started and any temperatures you have taken
- The name and location of your pharmacy
- A charged phone, tablet or laptop, tested ahead of time if the visit is by video
- A quiet, private room, lit from the side or from overhead rather than from behind
Tips for a video visit
Cleveland Clinic suggests signing on 10 to 15 minutes early and staying logged on until the provider arrives. Set the device on a steady surface and wipe the camera lens. If the audio lags, speak in shorter sentences and pause a little more often.
Do I need to be in Illinois during the visit?
Where you are sitting during the visit matters, so call first if you will be outside Illinois that day. Medical licenses are issued state by state. The MedlinePlus encyclopedia says care from a provider in another state assumes that provider is licensed where you live or are located, and Cleveland Clinic ties the license to wherever you are when the appointment happens.
Illinois applies the same idea to patients here. Its Medical Practice Act (225 ILCS 60/49.5) defines telemedicine as giving an opinion on the diagnosis or treatment of a patient in Illinois from a different location, and it sets penalties for doing that without an Illinois license or permit. If you expect to be on a trip, at an out-of-state college or at a relative’s home in another state on the day you want care, ask us before you schedule.
Paying for a telehealth visit
Medicare is accepted here. We also accept commercial coverage from Humana, Aetna or Cigna, and from UnitedHealthcare or Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. Illinois Medicaid members with HFS, Molina, Meridian, YouthCare or CountyCare coverage are welcome too. Call to confirm your specific plan. Telehealth coverage is a separate question, though. The MedlinePlus encyclopedia warns that not every insurer pays for every telehealth service, so check with your insurer about virtual visits as well.
According to Medicare.gov, Medicare pays for certain telehealth services wherever you are in the U.S., home included, and that coverage runs through the end of 2027. After the Part B deductible, you pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount, and for most telehealth services that equals what you would pay for the same service in person.
Paying on your own is also an option. The bill reflects the visit plus any tests that turn out to be needed. Call for current self-pay pricing.
Driving in from nearby towns
If a telehealth call ends with a test or an X-ray, the drive to our clinic is short from most neighboring towns. Romeoville drivers usually arrive in about 10 minutes and Woodridge drivers in about 11. Budget around 14 minutes from Darien, Lisle or Lemont, 15 from downtown Plainfield and 16 from Downers Grove. Lockport is roughly 17 minutes out and downtown Naperville about 18, with the south side of Naperville closer still.
For Romeoville, a separate page on telehealth near Romeoville covers local details, and each neighboring town has its own service area page with the route to our door.
The Pioneer walk-in visit
How a visit works
- Step 1Walk in or save your spot
No appointment needed. You can also save your spot online before you leave home.
- Step 2Check in
Bring a photo ID, your insurance card and a list of the medicines you take.
- Step 3See a provider
Get examined, with X-ray and rapid tests on site when you need them.
- Step 4Leave with a plan
You go home with a care plan and clear next steps.
Why families in Bolingbrook choose Pioneer
Walk-in care that fits real life
Open 7 days a week
8 AM to 8 PM, weekends included, so a Saturday sore throat does not have to wait until Monday.
X-ray and tests on site
X-ray every day we are open, plus rapid strep, flu and COVID tests, urinalysis and EKG.
Care for kids and adults
From infants through the teen years, and adults of every age, in one clinic.
Insurance and self-pay
Aetna, BCBS of Illinois, Cigna, Humana, Medicare, Illinois Medicaid plans and UnitedHealthcare. Call to confirm your plan.
Questions and answers
Questions we hear often
Still not sure? Call (630) 914-5373 and we will help you decide.
Is there telehealth urgent care near me in Bolingbrook?
Yes. Our Bolingbrook, IL clinic on S Bolingbrook Dr offers telehealth visits alongside walk-in care. Call (630) 914-5373, explain the problem, and ask whether a virtual visit makes sense and whether it would be by phone or video. To be seen in person instead, walk in any day, no appointment needed. The online booking page can also hold a time.
Is virtual care open now?
Call any day of the week between 8 AM and 8 PM, when the clinic is open, to ask about a telehealth visit. We have no overnight service. After hours, our online booking page lets you pick an in-person time for the next day. Severe or rapidly worsening symptoms call for 911 or a hospital emergency department.
Is telehealth the same as telemedicine?
For most patients, yes. MedlinePlus says people sometimes use the two words to mean the same thing. Strictly, telehealth is the broader term: it includes telemedicine plus things like training for health care providers and services from pharmacists and social workers. A telemedicine visit, a virtual visit and an online doctor visit all mean a provider caring for you from somewhere else.
Can children use telehealth at your clinic?
Call first and describe the problem, since the answer depends on the child and the symptoms. The American Academy of Pediatrics says children are best cared for face to face, though video visits can help at times, and that your own pediatrician should be the first choice for telehealth. If your baby is under 12 weeks old and a thermometer reads 100.4°F (38.0°C) or above, the AAP advises a call to the child’s doctor right away.
Can I do a wellness visit or physical by telemedicine?
MedlinePlus lists wellness visits among the kinds of care telehealth can offer in general, but a physical needs a hands-on exam. We do sports, school, annual and DOT physicals in the clinic, and a certified medical examiner does DOT exams 7 days a week. Walk in, or hold a time through the online booking page.
Does insurance pay for a virtual visit?
That depends on your plan. Our insurance page lists the plans we accept, but virtual-visit benefits differ between plans. Call to confirm your specific plan, and mention telehealth by name when you do. Medicare.gov says Medicare covers certain telehealth services at home through December 31, 2027. If you plan to pay on your own, call for current self-pay pricing.
What happens if the provider says I need to come in?
Head to 148 S Bolingbrook Dr. No appointment is required, and the online booking page can hold a place for you. Here, the provider may swab for strep, flu or COVID, check a urine sample or run an EKG. X-rays can be done on any clinic day, and any blood we draw is processed by an outside lab.
Sources for this page
- Telehealth (health topic). MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- Telehealth (Medical Encyclopedia). MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- Telehealth? Telemedicine? What To Expect at a Virtual Visit. Cleveland Clinic.
- Telehealth coverage. Medicare.gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
- Can telehealth “video visits” be a good option for my child?. HealthyChildren.org, American Academy of Pediatrics.
- Fever: When to Call the Pediatrician. HealthyChildren.org, American Academy of Pediatrics.
- When to use the emergency room, adult. MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- Medical Practice Act, Sec. 49.5 Telemedicine (225 ILCS 60/49.5). Illinois General Assembly.