The Rise of Tele Health
The world has changed so drastically in just the last 20 years. "Mobile" everything is all the rage. It seems there is nothing you can't do by phone these days. Trade stocks, deposit a check, hail a cab, track the number of steps you take per day and your heart rate... A shorter list might be what you can't do by phone.
Perhaps even just a few years ago we might have said, "go to the doctor... you can't do that by phone!"
Well if we could say it then we certainly can't say it now. Telehealth has become an increasingly attractive option to help us fit medical care into our busy lifestyles.
Even more pertinent is the "social distancing" which is conditioning us to stay further apart from other germ-carrying homo sapiens than we have ever done in our lifetimes.
Where is a high concentration of these germs found? Right, the doctor's office! From touching the front door handle, to using the receptionsist's pen to sign in, to the chair arms in the waiting room....let's face it, it's a great place to smear germs on your body parts.
Why not see the doctor by phone and video if you can?
With COVID-19 so highly contagious and so many patients in the "high risk" population group, one really takes an unnecessary risk by coming into such close contact with other patients who are sick enough to visit the doctor.
Well, Medicare is doing its part to help you avoid COVID-19 by now covering telehealth services just like so many employer health plans have been doing. In a recent announcement they stated:
Medicare beneficiaries can temporarily use telehealth services for common office visits, mental health counseling and preventive health screenings. This will help ensure Medicare beneficiaries are able to visit with their doctor from their home, without having to go to a doctor's office or hospital, which puts themselves and others at risk.
If you have an existing healthcare appointment, or think you need to see your doctor, please call them first to see if your appointment can be conducted over a smartphone with video capability or any device using video technology, like a tablet or a laptop. For some appointments, a simple check-in over the phone without video capabilities may suffice.
Also remember that Medicare covers lab tests for COVID-19. You pay no out of pocket costs.
What about family members who aren't covered by Medicare?
If you have family who does not participate in Medicare yet want to opt for Tele-medicine as a way to prevent unnecessary in-person contact at doctors' offices, you'll be pleased to know this benefit is also being covered on most employer-sponsored health insurance plans and also individual Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans.
If you or a family member is self employed and wanting to purchase your own individual coverage with this benefit, one of the top choices we recommend for our clients is United Healthcare's "Healthiest You" program.
Click this link to find out more and even enroll yourself in the plan. You may also use the "Schedule Appointment" link at the top of this webpage if you feel like a personal discussion about your needs would be helpful.