The CDC is recommending video visits to help reduce the risk
of
being exposed to germs in urgent care and ERs.
Get FREE virtual consultations with your :DP HealthNow membership.
DentalPlans.com offers two plans that include telemedicine services.
*Same day activation, if you join by 5pm ET Monday- Friday (Please allow up to 4 hours to activate your account). Next day activation if you join after 5pm ET.
DP members never pay additional fees for telemedicine services.
Telemedicine, sometimes called telehealth, connects people with healthcare professionals by phone or over the Internet. Using a telemedicine service, you can get a diagnosis, advice on managing the issue, and if applicable, prescriptions for certain types of non-narcotic drugs. You may also be able to get short-term refills on existing prescriptions, if necessary.
Telemedicine, also known as Telehealth, has been endorsed by many public health and medical industry organizations.
“…telehealth can improve health care access and outcomes … reduce demands on crowded facilities, … create cost savings and make the health sector more resilient.” - The World Health Organization (WHO)
“We view telemedicine as an important tool in increasing consumer access to high quality, affordable healthcare, improving patient satisfaction and reducing cost.” - Insurance industry’s public letter to Congressional Budget Office.
“Telehealth and remote monitoring are becoming significant forces in healthcare delivery …the number of physicians who use telehealth for visiting with patients has doubled between 2016 and 2019.”- American Medical Association (AMA)
:DP’s telemedicine plans connect you with U.S. board-certified doctors who live and work in the U.S. and are licensed to practice in your state. Visits are free for plan members.
The average cost of an emergency room visit (for a non-life threatening condition) is $2,168. The American Medical Association and Wellness Council of America estimate almost 75% of all doctor, urgent care, and ER visits could be handled safely and effectively with telemedicine.
Doctors can call in prescriptions for non-narcotic medicines to your pharmacy, when medically necessary..
It’s estimated that 35% to 38% of people who visit the ER are exposed to another virus while there.
Everyday illnesses and conditions such as sinus and ear infections, allergies, bronchitis, influenza and severe colds, rashes, bladder and ear infections and similar ailments. A telemedicine consultation can also help you determine if you need to see your own doctor or visit an urgent care clinic or emergency room.
A doctor can diagnosis many common issues by looking at you, asking about your symptoms, and observing how you are talking and breathing. Some health issues are, or course, better treated face to face.
Telemedicine services are designed to be confidential, and secure, so you can be confident about consulting with a doctor online.
Prescriptions for some types of medication, and refills, are available through telemedicine if the consulting doctor feels it is necessary and safe.
You can get simple documents, such as a doctor’s note for an absence, if appropriate, following a telemedicine consultation. Note that some documents, such as FMLA forms, typically require in-person assessments.