Just a few years ago, accessing healthcare involved getting in the car and meeting with a provider in person. Now, providing telemedicine is a standard part of many healthcare practices. Because of its convenience and widespread accessibility, telehealth solutions are quickly becoming the future of healthcare. Some insurers are even offering telemedicine health insurance plans specifically designed to help you get affordable healthcare services online.
By exploring recent innovations in virtual healthcare, you can determine if telehealth care is right for you, find ways to cut down on your medical expenses, and be more proactive about your wellness — all from the comfort of your own home.
Defining Telemedicine and Its Scope
What is telemedicine? It allows patients to get long-distance, remote care via telecommunication technology such as video conferences, phone calls, and even live text chats. Many providers that offer virtual care also have in-depth online educational resources to help patients quickly get answers about non-urgent issues.
Of course, not all health conditions can be treated over the internet or phone, which does limit the scope of digital care. For example, if you need stitches or an x-ray, you’ll have to visit a provider in person. However, you can still get comprehensive care, such as:
- Mental health: Because mental health treatment typically focuses on talk therapy or discussing symptoms to determine a medication plan, it can often be done on a remote basis.
- General care: You can use telehealth to get a diagnosis and treatment for non-urgent issues like urinary tract infections and respiratory illnesses.
- Follow-ups: Virtual visits make it easy to discuss your test results with your doctor without going into the office.
- Chronic illness management: If you already have a diagnosis and simply need to check in with your doctor regularly to discuss your care plan or renew your medications, telemedicine can be an effective solution.
It’s important to note that if you’re having a serious health concern, getting prompt care is key. If a virtual provider can’t provide you with adequate care, they’ll refer you to an in-person doctor or direct you to visit an emergency facility.
Historical Shifts Leading to Today’s Telemedicine Landscape
The technology to support remote medicine has been around for decades, but it’s only recently gained widespread adoption. Many doctors offered some sort of telemedicine, but patients may not have known it was an option. People would consider online appointments for certain types of support, such as mental health treatment, but didn’t realize they could get digital care in other situations, such as getting antibiotics for an infection. Additionally, many telemedicine options weren’t fully covered by insurance and were much more expensive than in-person visits.
That all changed in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic revolutionized the world of telehealth. Suddenly, in-person treatment was no longer an option for many people. This inspired companies to invest much more in their telehealth solutions and offer affordable virtual care to patients on a widespread basis. Many lawmakers also introduced stipulations to ensure insurance plans provided affordable coverage for virtual treatment.
Due to these changes, virtual visits became a key part of the healthcare landscape. People became accustomed to the convenience and ease of online solutions. As a result, using virtual care is 38 times more popular than it was before the pandemic.
How Telemedicine Is Reshaping Patient Care
There are countless benefits of telemedicine, from its affordability to its convenience. Here are some of the top benefits of telemedicine to keep in mind as you look for healthcare solutions.
Accessible Healthcare at Your Fingertips
Telehealth makes healthcare accessible to anyone who has a simple internet connection. In some cases, all you need is a phone for audio-only support. To make it even more convenient, some providers and even insurance carriers have their own virtual care apps. If you need general care after hours, you can also call telehealth lines right away instead of waiting to get an appointment during office hours.
Personalized Patient Experiences Through Virtual Visits
With virtual treatment, you can decide when, where, and how to get treatment. Additionally, basic online screening questions can make it easier to share critical details about your health. If you need a follow-up or have additional questions, you can easily call a health line or schedule another at-home appointment without having to deal with lengthy waits for in-office visits.
Improvements in Chronic Disease Management
If you have a chronic illness, you know how important it is to communicate with your doctors. However, it can be hard to take off work and get to a doctor’s office every time you have a concern or need to adjust your medication. Telehealth makes follow-ups more convenient so you can save in-person visits for tests or serious issues. It can also keep healthcare costs low when you need multiple appointments and follow-ups.
The Role of Telemedicine in Mental Health Services
The mental health field was one of the first specialties to embrace digital healthcare, with online therapy solutions becoming popular in recent years. Whether you’re looking for a psychiatrist to help you find medication or want to find a talk therapist, telehealth has options for you. 24/7 mental health lines can help you in a crisis, while standing appointments with a regular therapist can help you prioritize your mental wellness regularly.
Redefining Emergency Services with Immediate Remote Support
Many providers and insurers have 24/7 telehealth lines available so you can get answers about your health right away. While this doesn’t replace in-person treatment, instant support from a telehealth line can help you get on the right track if you’re concerned that you might be having a medical emergency.
Telehealth and Insurance
Now that telemedicine is here to stay, insurers have adapted to cover virtual care. If you’re participating in open enrollment 2024 and getting your plan through a state marketplace like Covered California, you’ll want to know whether your plan will pay for telecare. Many mainstream plans cover telehealth at the same rates for in-person support as long as you’re seeing an in-network provider. For example, if your co-pay is $60, you’ll still pay that amount when using your policy online.
Additionally, some insurers have special programs for telehealth and virtual care. They may offer a discount for chat-based e-visits for simple issues — some plans even provide limited virtual care for free.
Along with marketplace policies from open enrollment, some private companies also have telemedicine plans designed to help you keep costs low. For a small premium each month, you’ll get access to a helpful telemedicine line to help you take care of your health.
The Advancements Driving Telemedicine Forward
As technology advances, digital healthcare is continuing to evolve. New tools are making it possible for providers to gather more information about patients, helping them get the details they need to make an accurate diagnosis.
Cutting-Edge Technologies in Remote Health Monitoring
Remote monitoring devices are some of the biggest innovations in the world of telehealth. The tools allow medical professionals to get real-time updates about their patients’ vital signs and can even allow them to administer some basic diagnostic tests remotely. This can help improve the accuracy of diagnosis, ensuring patients get the best treatment possible.
Get Started with Telemedicine
Telehealth tools have made it possible for more people to get the care they need without worrying about adjusting their busy schedules or paying excessive out-of-pocket costs. Telemedicine is a quick, helpful solution to many of the basic medical issues you encounter every day, making it easy for you to take control of your overall well-being.
Getting virtual medical support is even easier when you have the right insurance plan. Freeway’s telemedicine insurance plans give you access to top-tier, round-the-clock support for just pennies a day. If you’re ready to step into the future of healthcare, get started by heading to a Freeway Insurance office nearby, getting an online quote, or calling 800-777-5620.
