The night I became “sold” on telemedicine…
Telemedicine is changing today’s healthcare environment by providing 24/7 CONVENIENT ACCESS to AFFORDABLE care for basic healthcare needs. Here’s my personal story of when I became “sold” on the benefits of telemedicine…
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It was around 7:00 pm on Christmas night 2017. I also happened to be 8 months pregnant with my fourth child. The day had been exciting and exhausting all in one. My wild family had enjoyed an action-packed day of family, food and presents. However, I had noticed earlier in the day that I was not feeling so well. That afternoon I had started running a fever and decided to take a long nap. I woke up to find my fever had only spiked higher. I had been battling a sinus cold for a couple of weeks, and it had finally won.
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Being that it was Christmas night, I did not want to get out on the roads and find an urgent care or freestanding ER center. I felt miserable though, and I really wanted a solution fast! All I needed was an antibiotic and some sleep. Thankfully, I had a telemedicine benefit through a monthly membership service, and so I decided it was time to call a doctor.?
If you’re not familiar with telemedicine, through my membership, I simply had to log into their member portal and submit my request to speak with a MD. I spent about five minutes making sure my medical history information was up to date and then added the details of my current medical situation and symptoms. Once I hit submit on the portal, I waited for a phone call back from a doctor. In less than 10 minutes, a doctor had given me a call on my cell phone. The doctor asked me a few questions, and I provided further details. Within just a few minutes, the doctor confirmed what I expected – that I had a sinus infection. He prescribed an antibiotic, and he submitted the prescription to my preferred local pharmacy.
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Within about an hour, from start to finish, I was able to speak with a doctor and my husband was able to pick up my antibiotic down the street. By the next day, I was feeling tremendously better. I guess it was now time to clean up all the mess left behind from Christmas Day.
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This experience made me a major telemedicine believer and advocate for all my family, friends, and clients! I have peace of mind knowing that a doctor is always available to me 24/7/365… even on major holidays, nights, weekends, etc. I don’t even have to leave my home or office to access the care I need. My telemedicine membership covers my whole family. We access the benefit often for things like sinus infection, pink eye, skin rash, allergies and more.
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Many major medical plans now include a telehealth benefit for their enrolled members. Some medical plans may charge a copay to access it while others may not. There are also telemedicine memberships available outside of your medical plan that may cover your entire family for a small monthly fee. My family’s plan even includes behavioral telehealth. Behavioral telehealth is a rapidly growing trend and provides convenient and affordable access to mental health support.
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I often speak to my clients about telemedicine. The membership plans are a great benefit for employers to offer their employees. They provide affordable access to healthcare for employees and their families which hopefully results in a happier, healthier, more productive workforce for the employer!
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I help employers structure a benefits program that fits their budget and that their employees appreciate.
1 年Great post! I love our telemedicine benefit through freshbenies!