Delayed Medical Care Due to Pandemic- Can Telemedicine Close the Gap?

Need a same day doctor’s appointment that might not charge a co-pay? The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a massive increase in the use of telemedicine freeing people, and especially seniors, from having to travel for an appointment or sit in a waiting room.

Health plans are waiving co-payments for COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment including telemedicine visits during the emergency period. Some health plans are waiving all telemedicine co-payments.

Many practices are offering these services and its use is growing rapidly. In fact, WellMed’s MyHealthTeam telemedicine portal conducted 18 times as many online appointments in May 2020 compared with March. As of mid-June, WellMed clinicians have conducted nearly 100,000 telemedicine visits in 2020.

In a poll released May 2020, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that nearly half of Americans delayed medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic.# It’s critical that the 6 out of 10 adults+ in the United States with chronic conditions stay in communication with their doctors and don’t miss out on care. Of course, people concerned about COVID or other possible health issues also need to be in touch with their health team. Telemedicine can help.

Dr. Charles Van Duyne, Associate Chief Medical Information Officer at WellMed, describes telemedicine and the type of care you can receive, and he's sharing top tips, including when you should consider making a telemedicine appointment and how it works.

For more information:
WellMedHealthcare.com/MyHealthTeam