So, you have heard about telehealth. This solution for connecting patients to qualified health care providers has been in the works for years, but the 2020 pandemic has compelled many reluctant to participate in telemedicine to take the plunge. Now, you have likely heard the benefits of meeting with a digital doctor over wasting time and increasing your risk by visiting a provider in-person.
The first step to engaging with telehealth is finding a provider who fits your needs and wants. Here’s a guide to scouring the web for a telehealth provider you can trust.
First, Look Into Your Health Insurance Coverage
More and more health insurance companies are covering telehealth services — thanks in part to the pandemic, which drastically reduced health care access but also thanks to the relatively low cost of telehealth solutions, which can reduce expenses for insurance providers. If you have health insurance, it is worthwhile to look into what kinds of telehealth services are covered under your plan. This will help point you in the right direction for telehealth providers, and it will (hopefully) reduce your medical costs going forward.
If you no longer have the policy information provided when you first signed up for your insurance plan, you can contact your insurance provider to learn more about their telehealth offerings. Some insurers have their own telehealth services, which you might be able to access for free. However, most will fully or partially cover in-network virtual visits on specific platforms, so you should talk to your insurer’s customer service to better understand your telehealth options. Typically, insurers will also have online tools to help you identify covered telehealth providers, which can be an invaluable resource in your search.
Next, Contact Providers You Are Familiar With
Again thanks to the pandemic, many more providers have dipped their toes into telehealth in an effort to make themselves accessible to patients unable (or unwilling) to make in-person appointments safely. Though telehealth solutions have been available for years, many providers needed an extra push to engage with telemedicine in general and virtual patient visits in particular. It might be that your regular provider — your primary care doctor or a specialist you meet with consistently — offers telehealth services that you can take advantage of.
If you have developed a positive relationship with a certain provider, it might be important that you continue receiving care from them instead of seeking out a random provider online. Continuity of care is important; it ensures that you are receiving medical advice from a provider who understands your health history and thus is unlikely to make uninformed decisions regarding treatment and care. Thus, if you can use telehealth to meet with a provider you know and like, you absolutely should.
Finally, Investigate Available Providers Online
If you don’t have health insurance or your provider doesn’t offer telehealth coverage — and if you don’t have a regular health care provider or your providers aren’t yet hip to telehealth — you can always find an existing telehealth provider online. Services like https://everydaydoctor.com/ make it easy to browse available providers, book appointments and order prescriptions from nearby (or online) pharmacies. Many telehealth providers like this one have apps, which make navigating the platform incredibly intuitive, even for those who don’t consider themselves tech-savvy.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by your options when searching through telehealth providers online. To avoid such feelings, you should have a list of your most important qualifications for a provider. For example, you might expect a certain level of education from your provider — a doctor rather than a nurse — or you might prefer female providers over male ones. You should also know your goals for each appointment, such as procuring a refill for a prescription or a recommendation for a particular medical specialist. By setting your own expectations for your provider and virtual visit, you can make the process of finding and meeting with a provider much more straightforward.
Soon enough, telehealth will be as commonplace as traditional health visits. The sooner you become accustomed to meeting with a provider over the web, the sooner you will be hooked on the convenience and low cost of telehealth services.
Go for the Provider that offers Free Consultation
You must remember that the right telehealth provider mostly offers the free consultation. For instance if you happen to be the victim of covid then you can get the free consultation from a digital health provider without asking for any prescriptions.
The good thing about this option is that you will know how you are going to change the situation for yourself and at the same time right away you won’t have to pay anything. Once you believe that the virtual doctor is authentic you can set an appointment and go for the regular procedure.
Benefits of having a TeleHealth Provider
There are so many wonderful benefits of having a telehealth provider.
Your Safety is Ensured
Before covid no one was at the risk of contracting the virus on a way to a hospital but now things are different. Nowadays it is not possible for you to go to hospital without having the risk of contracting the virus. Also there is no need to go to any clinic when you can get everything going with a telehealth provider. Having a telehealth provider means your safety is ensured.
A Safe Haven for Pregnant Wome
Pregnancy can be difficult for women and they maximize rest. The best thing about going for a telehealth provider is the ensured comfort for pregnant women. Get whatever advice you need while sitting at the comfort of your home without the risk of contracting any virus that may be in the air.
Conclusion
Things are changing for the good and everything is going digital. The best way to go digital is by having the services of a telehealth provider. In such times when pandemic is around the corner make sure you think about your safety. Go for a telehealth provider because it is indeed the safest option you can opt for.