The Anthem Blue Cross of California provider network just got larger as of July 1st when Blue Cross members can enroll in LiveHealth Online to consult with a doctor through the Internet using a regular computer, tablet or smart phone. The cost for the doctor visit or online consultation, in lieu of actually visiting a real medical office, will be the standard copayment or coinsurance of the member’s health plan. In California, the real online medical doctors, not avatars, will be able to prescribe certain medications to treat the illness being diagnosed.
Are online doctor visits the future of health care?
Telemedicine or virtual office visits has been hyped for years as a means to help drive the cost health care down in the U.S. Companies such as TeleDoc and AmeriDoc have allowed individuals and families to call in and speak directly to a physician or nurse. Some of the telemedicine provider plans were sold as a monthly subscription in addition to an existing health plan. As much as we like to throw stones at the health insurance companies, I figured that if a health plan would actually integrate a telephone or online medical advice service into their covered benefits, then it is likely to be of value. Download LiveHealth Online/Anthem Blue Cross flyers at end of post.
Wellpoint owns the Internet doctor provider
Anthem Blue Cross of California has taken that step to treat an online consultation with a physician the same as an in-person visit to doctor office. This bold experiment of telemedicine within a health plan is actually all in the family. Wellpoint, who own Anthem Blue Cross of California, also owns Health Management Corporation which runs LiveHealth Online. The CEO of Wellpoint, Joseph Swedish, prophesized about the importance telemedicine to a group of health care executives back in March.
Mobile telehealth is an exciting new opportunity to advance how the industry administers and consumes healthcare as well, he said. It allows consumers to have a physician experience whenever they want with online chats, video sessions and on the phone. Physicians can recommend treatments and sometimes even prescribe medication remotely, depending on state laws, he said. – FierceHealthcare
Doctor look at this rash on my…
Regardless of whether the Wellpoint CEO was surreptitiously promoting their soon-to-be-released online doc shop, high speed broad band internet connections now allow images between the patient and doctor to be evaluated in real time. But will these virtual office visits be of any greater value than an in-person consultation or trip to urgent care? The promotion surrounding telemedicine providers is the tremendous value to consult a doctor when you have a common cold. For those individuals who do run to the doctor when they have cold, an online consultation will save both the health plan and the member some money.
Online chats saves someone money
The ability to save the health plan money and provide some convenience to the members is probably at the heart of the LiveHealth Online business model. Anthem Blue Cross surely doesn’t reimburse the online doctors as much as a physician with an office staff and nurses. If the online consultations can be used to monitor health challenges a patient may have that can help reduce the wait times to see physicians for more urgent concerns, that’s a good thing. There are a variety of illnesses like pink eye and rashes where the doctors don’t want the infection brought into the patient waiting room. (See: Hiker’s Rash: red rash from knee to ankle) In these situations, an online visit can also be of value to everybody who doesn’t want the rash.
Who gets to doc chat online?
As of July 1st, the following Anthem Blue Cross plans will allow a LiveHealth Online consultation to be a covered benefit.
- Small group off exchange: PPO, EPO, PPO CDH (HSA, HRA)
- Individual and family plans through Covered California: DMHC plans PPO and EPO
- Individual and family off exchange: DMHC plans PPO and EPO, CDI Plans PPO and EPO
You don’t have to be an Anthem Blue Cross member to use LiveHealth Online services. Anyone can pay using a credit card. Although, the copayment or coinsurance charge paid by and Anthem Blue Cross member will count towards meeting either their deductible, in many instances, and their annual maximum out-of-pocket amount.
Online consultation treated like a real office visit
If the member’s health plan includes a certain number of office visits before the deductible is activated, this online consultation will be counted as one of the office visits. A doctor is available 24 hours, 7 days a week. You can select a specific doctor to work with but he or she may not be available if you need an unexpected follow up consultation. The personal health information you share with the online physician may not be available to a doctor you see in person. Always let your primary care physician know if your online doctor has prescribed you any medications that might not show up in the medical history of his or her office.
Telemedicine has its limits
I have no doubt that many doctors that practice medicine “in-person” can think of lots of reasons why telemedicine may be a suspect proposition. There are issues with the inability to take a person’s vital signs (weight, blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, etc.) during an online consultation along with the absence of medical history and prescribed medications. But for individuals who have an aversion to making a doctor’s appointment or an issue with distance from the office, telemedicine might improve the health of many people who just can’t see a doctor as often as they need or would like.
Frequently Asked Questions about LiveHealth Online for Anthem Blue Cross members
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LiveHealth Online mobile application information
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