Telehealth
Many people are wondering how they can consult with a doctor if they are stuck at home. Will all my routine appointments stop? What if I need a refill? Can I just talk to someone to see if I need to get tested? I know I’m supposed to be decreasing the burden on the healthcare facilities right now. How do I do that? Can I talk about general strategies to keep me healthy? Enter telehealth, also known as telemedicine.
What is telehealth?
Telehealth is virtual healthcare. You connect with your provider over privacy protected video like a video conference. It can’t be used in every case. It isn’t for emergencies or even some urgencies. However, there are many situations where it can work very well. All last week I have been seeing patients virtually to go over lab work, continuing treatment plans, sorting out medication refills, answering questions about cold and flu symptoms, discussing general strategies to manage stress, and just being able to be there for people in these uncertain times. It’s working great and patients do not need to leave their homes to have visits.
Does Insurance Cover This?
Many insurance carriers are covering telehealth. Medicare had started to expand telehealth benefits starting in the fall of 2019. With the current outbreak, many private insurance companies are rapidly expanding coverage as a way to decrease stress on the healthcare system as it adapts to providing for new needs. To find out if you can have telehealth visits you will need to call your insurance carrier. Be sure to ask them if you have telehealth benefits and if you can receive those services from the doctor you choose.
No gaps in care
Telehealth helps make sure there is no gap in care. You can follow up and continue treatment plans and make future plans for your health needs. Many clinics are using this to reduce burden on healthcare facilities right now. If it is safe to do so (and you are not in urgent need of in-person care), sign up for a video visit early in an issue and your health care providers can help manage things before they get urgent. This can keep the clinics well spaced in case you do need to go in.
Who should not use telehealth?
Medical emergencies or situations where you need to be seen right away and have a physician give you a physical exam and run testing- are not compatible with telehealth. Since you are being seen remotely, your doctor can’t do any physical exams, take x-rays, run lab tests, take a swab, run an EKG, listen to your lungs, have access to life saving equipment and medications, etc.