What Telemedicine Is and How it Works

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If you are someone who really hates to go to a physician’s office when all you have is a simple medical question, you might be pretty happy with the upsurge in telemedicine acceptance and availability these days. You can now communicate with your doctor or another medical professional from the comfort of your home and without those uncomfortable waiting room chairs!

What Telemedicine Is and How it Works

Telemedicine allows for remote communication using specific software. You might have noticed that even before we found ourselves staying at home to safeguard against COVID-19, there were already certain types of telemedicine in use. For example, your medical provider might have asked you to submit your medical information online before your appointment. In addition, remote caregivers have been using it when treating patients who must remain at home due to a medical condition.

The World Health Organization (WHO) calls telemedicine “healing from a distance” because it is all about medical professionals helping their patients without having the patient come to their office. With a secure video and audio connection, you can get answers based on what the medical provider can discern from seeing you and asking questions. It doesn’t replace situations where a thorough exam or testing needs to be done, but it does avoid a large number of unnecessary in-person visits.

The good news is that most health insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare, cover telemedicine and telehealth visits. There may be some exclusions, such as when it is more cost-effective to have an in-person visit. If you have questions about whether your health insurance plan covers telemedicine visits, reach out to us at Elite Benefits Group in Monroe, North Carolina.