Technology Is Reshaping How We Get Health Care
The internet has impacted nearly every aspect of our everyday lives, from changing how we watch our favorite shows to making it easier to maintain contact with family and friends living far away. Now, it is even affecting how we meet with our health care providers and get treatment for illnesses, infections and other mild to moderate health concerns and conditions.
What Is Telemedicine?
Telemedicine is the way that patients communicate with health care providers using technology instead of face-to-face office visits. This method of health care is not new; phone-a-nurse lines have been around for decades, and specialists often confer with primary care doctors to offer advice and guidance on treating or managing conditions. However, the increased use of smartphones and video conferencing has led to more health care providers using technology to provide convenient, affordable care.
Does Telemedicine Work?
Obviously, meeting with a doctor over a webcam does not replace every office visit. If you are experiencing symptoms of heart attack, stroke, significant and uncontrolled bleeding, or a suspected broken bone, you need to get to a hospital.
However, telemedicine is a great option for follow-up care. For example, if you have started on a new medication and your doctor wants to find out how it is working for you or what side affects you are experiencing. Saving the trip to the office, and simply discussing it on a phone call or video conference is appropriate. Telemedicine is a good option for getting fast advice when you have symptoms of a virus or infection, or if you have a skin condition such as a mole or rash. It is also increasingly used by mental health professionals for talk therapy.
Why Use Telemedicine?
In some cases, there’s no substitute for an in-person visit with your doctor. However, telemedicine can be used to treat a range of medical conditions and has benefits that make it an option worth considering next time you need to see your doctor.
Telemedicine Is Convenient
Telemedicine puts healthcare within reach of those who would otherwise have a difficult time visiting a doctor. If you have a severe sinus infection, the last thing you want to do is spend the afternoon in the doctor’s office. Visits with your doctor can happen right in the comfort and privacy of your home, eliminating the need to take time off work and figure out childcare arrangements.
Telemedicine Can Keep You Healthy
Doctor’s offices are germy places that can be especially dangerous for those who have underlying conditions or weakened immune systems, and during the winter flu season, skipping the in-person visit means that you won’t share close quarters with people who may be sick. On the flip side, if you’re the one who’s sick, visiting with your doctor remotely helps limit the possible spread.
continued below ⇓
Recent Posts
How Financing Your Car Affects the Insurance Premium
However, you may end up paying a higher premium than someone who has not financed their vehicle. If you make payments on your vehicle, your lender requires you to have comprehensive and collision coverage on top of the state minimum requirements.
Adding Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist To Your Policy
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is used when you are hit by a driver that has insufficient coverage or no coverage at all. This optional coverage helps to compensate you for damages, up to your policy limit.
What Is Renters Insurance?
Renter’s insurance covers your personal property. If your property is damaged due to a covered peril such as a fire or theft, then you are compensated for your loss up to your policy limits. There are a variety of risks and events covered by renters insurance.
Health Insurance Quotes
2). Online Quote
3). In Person
4260 W. Craig Road #150-A
N. Las Vegas, NV 89032
How Much Does Telemedicine Cost?
Along with its convenience, among the biggest benefits of telemedicine is its affordability. When chosen as an alternative for going to an urgent care clinic or hospital emergency room, telemedicine is considerably more economical. Just as the exact laws regarding what telemedicine services that health insurance companies must cover vary from state to state, out-of-pocket costs also vary. In some states, patients have the same co-pay for a video or over-the-phone visit that they do for an in-person office visit. Other companies charge a $0 co-pay and others a small, perhaps $10 co-pay.
You will need to call the customer service number on the back of your insurance card to find out how much this visit is for you. Or you can log in to your “Member Portal” online where you can view your plan details. Even in states that don’t require that health insurance companies charge the same co-pays for telemedicine, many health insurance companies make sure that telemedicine services are affordable. Ultimately, telemedicine makes healthcare more accessible, leading to better care and healthier patients.
continued below ⇓
Search This Website
Most Popular Pages
By page visits (this month)
#1) Health Insurance Subsidy Chart
#2) Health Insurance
#3) Health Insurance WITH a Subsidy
#4) Insurance Blog
#5) Request a Quote
How To Know If Your Health Insurance Covers Telemedicine
Telemedicine, or remote medical care through video chat, email, or phone calls, offer a lot of benefits for patients. It makes it easy for those who would otherwise have a hard time getting to their doctor to get the care that they need. Currently, 37 states, including Nevada, have parity laws that require private health insurance companies to cover telemedicine.
While parity laws vary by state, they generally say that private health insurance companies can’t take the insured’s location into account when determining whether a remote visit with a health provider is covered. In other words, even if you’re video conferencing with your doctor from your workplace, your health insurance company must cover it.
Although most states require that major health insurance plans cover telemedicine, some types of plans are exempt from this requirement. If you have a worker’s compensation plan or a small group plan, you may not have this coverage.
Finding Coverage with Nevada Insurance Enrollment
Telemedicine is a convenient option for those who can’t get to their doctor’s office or prefer to stay at home. A Nevada Insurance Enrollment health insurance agent can help you figure out the details of your health plan and the costs involved in using telemedicine visits.
What is a Major Medical Health Insurance Plan?Related Articles:
♦ What is a Major Medical Health Insurance Plan?
♦ Medical Loss Ratio
♦ Short Term Health Insurance for Nevadans
♦ What Are Association Health Insurance Plans?
Read More: Individual & Family Health Insurance
Top 5 Most Popular
By page visits (this month)
#1) Health Insurance Subsidy Chart
#2) Health Insurance
#3) Health Insurance WITH a Subsidy
#4) Insurance Blog Posts
#5) Request a Quote
Recent Posts
At Fault – If You Caused an Auto Accident
The responsibility of who pays what in Nevada is contingent on who’s at-fault in an auto accident. All drivers in Nevada have an obligation to drive their automobiles safely to reduce any risks of potential accidents. In Nevada, if you are the at-fault driver (the person that caused the accident), then you are responsible to “make whole” the individual or property you hit.
I Witnessed A Car Accident; What Do I Do?
A car accident can happen in the blink of an eye and witnessing one can be scary. After an auto accident, all drivers involved are required to stay at the scene where information is exchanged for auto insurance purposes. But what should you do if you witness a car wreck?
Accidents / Vandalism: Does Auto Insurance Cover Personal Belongings?
Personal items such as a tablet, wallet, or any personal valuables are not generally covered in your auto insurance policy. Those items would be covered in your homeowners/renters policy. You would have a deductible to pay for first, and then you’d need to consider the consequences of a claim on your homeowners policy.
Windshield / Glass Coverage
Windshield / glass coverage pays the amount of a covered glass loss, and as an added perk, it has a low deductible. Your insurer will cover the full costs of the repairs up to your policy limit, and as long as the costs of the damages don’t exceed your coverage limit, you’ll pay only your small deductible.