What costs rise during the surge?
Per-diem providers and extra shifts, overtime for medical assistants and front desk, rapid test kits and supplies, and longer hours of operation. Some clinics add temporary staff from agencies at premium rates.
Supply costs can be significant, and some tests and supplies are bought in advance to avoid shortages. Order timing matters: buying early protects availability but uses cash before the visits happen.
How do clinics plan the funding?
Use last season’s visit volume as a guide, estimate the extra staffing and supply costs, and fund the gap between spending and insurance payments.
Keep the term inside the busy season and the weeks just after, when delayed payments arrive. That keeps payments aligned with the higher deposits.
Patient-facing changes matter too: online check-in, posted wait times and a fast-track lane for simple visits let the same staff see more patients per hour. Those operational fixes stretch every dollar spent on extra shifts.
What if the season is lighter than expected?
Build flexibility into staffing: per-diem shifts that can be cancelled, supplies ordered in stages, and a funding amount sized conservatively.
Requesting less than the maximum gives room if volume disappoints. You can always add shifts if demand surges; it is harder to reduce payments once committed.
| Item | Timing | Flexibility |
|---|---|---|
| Per-diem provider shifts | 4–6 weeks before | High |
| Test kits and supplies | Staged orders | Medium |
| Extended hours | As demand rises | High |
| Agency staff | Peak weeks | Medium |
Worked example: a single-site urgent care
A single-site urgent care averaging $175,000 in monthly deposits plans per-diem providers, extended hours and staged test-kit orders for respiratory season, budgeting $45,000 in costs ahead of insurance payments. Using an illustrative factor rate of 1.19, $45,000 would mean $53,550 repaid over roughly 5 months: 105 daily payments of about $510.
That works out to about $10,710 a month, or 6.1% of the $175,000 this business deposits monthly, and the total cost of the money is $8,550. The season’s higher volume produces the deposits that repay the funding within the busy months.
For comparison, repaying the same $53,550 over 3 months would lift the monthly outlay to about $17,850, or 10.2% of deposits, and whether the faster payoff is worth that bigger payment depends on how steady your slow months are.
| Average monthly deposits | $175,000 |
|---|---|
| Amount funded | $45,000 |
| Factor rate (illustrative) | 1.19 |
| Total repaid | $53,550 |
| Cost of the funding | $8,550 |
| Term | about 5 months |
| Daily payment (105 payments) | $510 |
| Payments as a share of deposits | 6.1% |
Who this fits
Usually a fit
- Urgent cares with seasonal volume history
- Clinics adding shifts and hours
- Operators buying supplies ahead of demand
When a practice may want to wait
- New clinics without a prior season of data
- Clinics with reserves to cover the ramp
- Practices without deposit history
What you’ll typically need
- Recent business bank statements
- Prior season volume
- Staffing plan
- Practice details
Frequently asked questions
Can funding pay agency staff?
Yes; working capital can pay any staffing costs.
Should the term end with the season?
Many clinics prefer it so payments align with peak deposits.
How quickly can money for flu-season staffing arrive?
Most practice files get a same-day decision once bank statements are uploaded, and approved money for flu-season staffing often lands within one or two business days.
What credit score do I need to fund flu-season staffing?
For flu-season staffing, owners with scores from 500 can be considered because recent deposits carry the most weight, and stronger credit usually earns a lower cost and a larger offer.
Season coming?
Apply and staff up.
Updated October 6, 2026