As we all practice social distancing and try to stay at home as much as possible, you might be wondering how you can access medical care safely. That’s why many healthcare providers and insurance companies are partnering to expand the use of telemedicine.
Often times we are stricken with simply mild illnesses, and other concerns that follow those illnesses. It’s pretty normal think that a visit to the Dr’s office or urgent care is a little “overkill”. The problem can be, how do we obtain support, that way we can know that we have covered all of our bases, just in case?
How does it work?
The first time you give it a try, Telemedicine may seem complicated or intimidating. Matter of fact, over the last few years, I have had many clients simply resist against the idea, assuming it was just another way to keep them out of the Dr’s office, ultimately; avoiding getting the care that they need. But, the good news is, this isn’t even close to the case, and once you get used to it, its actually quite convenient. You can do it form your smart phone, laptop with a web cam, tablet, and many of these companies have their own website you can visit to make it simple.
You will soon be chatting face to face with your healthcare provider. Surprisingly, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of your personal physicians you are already receiving care from are switching to these systems for the time being. Even myself, I visited with my surgeon over the phone just last week instead of going into his office for a post surgery follow up visit I had scheduled after I had Surgery on my ankle back in December of 2019. It was extremely easy, and in the end, I felt great that I didn’t have to drive across town, fight traffic, and eat up a few hours of my day.
My advise; telemedicine is not meant for emergencies. I would highly recommend that you utilize the services at an emergency room or urgent care in the event that something major happens. But, if you feel like you need to run an idea past a physician, or if you are sure you know what the problem is and you simply want a physicians conformation, along with a prescription or referral, telemedicine can be a huge help to you.
We are in weird times right now, but things don’t need to change much, we just need to take advantage of some of the tools have been given to bridge the gap! So, contact your insurance provider, find out what telemedicine options they have available for you and get seen today. Please don’t prolong this process, you deserve better.
Your Turning 65 Advisor!
Brent M Crawley