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Some insurance carriers are now incorporating the benefits of tele-medicine for their policyholders. Many companies are offering low cost, virtual access to a healthcare professional.
The services can range from video conferencing with a qualified practitioner to a form of Uber for Doctors where they come out to your house.
According to a recent SDUT article, the pricing depends on whether the service is offered through your insurance plan or as a result of you paying directly.
For example, HEAL, an on-demand healthcare app, is in-network with a couple of insurance providers including Anthem Blue Cross of California and Blue Shield of California. In these cases, the "...in-home convenience could cost no more than your standard co-pay. Otherwise, Heal charges a fixed cost of $99 per visit, which covers the entire session save for any tests that require additional processing, such as lab work."
There are several others now on the market including (but not limited to):
Beyond Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield offerings, more insurance companies are catching on. For example:
Aetna now offers teledocs for the price of a copay.
Wall Street Journal article:
How Telemedicine Is Transforming Health Care
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Kaiser Permanente offers video chats, in addition to a 24 hotline where you can either speak to a nurse, doctor, or mental health provider, or you can listen to medical information recordings about specific medical concerns.
Sharp Healthcare includes the Minute Clinics at your local CVS, along with Sharp Nurse connection, a telephone service with an RN to answer health questions or concerns after regular business hours.
UnitedHealthcare is also offering video doctor visits.
The future of medicine involves the use of technology to meet a variety of medical needs:
- 24x7 Access to Doctors - Telephone, Video or House Calls
- Provider Searches - Including Ratings
- Prescription Savings - Manage Prescriptions Online
- Coverage/Benefits Review - View Claims Online
- Price Transparency - Compare Cash vs. Insurance Costs
If you want to find out how your policy incorporates tele-medicine, you can call the number on the back of your ID card or reach out to your local San Diego Insurance Broker.