The Benefits of Virtual Doctor Appointment Apps.
We’ve all been there- it’s Friday afternoon, and your throat is itchy, you’re sneezing (a lot), you feel flush, you know you’re coming down with something. Being sick on the weekend is the pits, especially if you aren’t able to schedule an appointment right away. These days it seems Doctors offices are not able to accommodate last minute appointments which leave you (desperate for your head and body aches to subside) to suffer longer than necessary.
Many primary care Doctors offices close early on Fridays and are not open during the weekend, which means you are with left with few choices to alleviate your symptoms. First choice: You can take some over the counter meds and nurse the sickness over the weekend. Second choice: drag yourself out of bed to the closest urgent care. Where you will wait, who knows how long, to see a Doctor and possibly pay more than you would if you had gone to your primary care (totally dependent on your insurance coverage).
Thanks to the creation of the virtual doctor appointment app, being sick might not be so dreadful. These health-focused apps make it easy to get the help you need when you need it the most.
Here are a few apps that are changing the way we fight our way back to good health!
MDLive
Through MDLive, on-demand visits are conducted live with doctors quickly and easily. The average wait time to see a state-licensed board-certified physician is less than 15 minutes. Using your phone, tablet, or computer, you can visit with a doctor day or night (24/7 365 days a year). The physicians are equipt to cover a wide range of non- emergency conditions as well as many behavioral health topics. Some common conditions treated include allergies, insect bite, rashes, flu, UTI, common cold, addictions, depression, and stress.
Specific insurance providers are not mentioned on the MDlive site. You’ll need to call their customer service line,(800) 400-MDLIVE (6354), to check insurance coverage before making an appointment. If your insurance is not accepted, you will be charged $75 for urgent care visits, $99 for counseling, $259 for your initial psychiatry visit ($99 for follow-ups), and $69 for dermatology visit. Providers can write prescriptions for non-narcotic medications and can be sent to a pharmacy of the patients choosing.
Lemonaid
This online Doctor’s office also doubles as a medicine delivery service. Doctor consultations are $25 and they offer free medication delivery to your home or pharmacy pick up. If you choose the delivery option, your medication will be delivered in 2–3 business days. Expedited delivery is available, but you must call their customer service line to make the request. Some of the medication they provide treat, anxiety and depressions, hair loss, ED, and cold sores.
Lemonaid can also provide lab tests, including cholesterol tests, blood type tests, A1C blood sugar tests, and STD testing.
After patients complete an online health questionnaire, they are prompted with two types of appointments, an immediate video consultation or a Doctor will review their case within two hours. If the Doctor is not able to proscribe medication, the patients $25 fee will be refunded. The initial visit fee cannot be covered by insurance, but it can sometimes cover the cost of the prescription, based on your health plan and the medicine that is prescribed.
Doctor on Demand
This app can cover a wide range of different types of issues, such as urgent care, behavioral health, preventive health, and chronic care. Patients are connected in minutes with board-certified physicians and doctoral-level therapists over live video. Your Doctor will take your history and symptoms before they perform an exam.
Doctors on Demand is a 24/7 service that works with several health insurance agencies, including United Healthcare, Aetna, Humana, and Cigna. Some companies also offer employee discounts. Those who do not have coverage can still receive services for a fee based on their medical needs. Medical visits are a flat rate of $75, therapy is $79, and psychiatry is $229 for the initial appointment.
Physicians associated with the app can prescribe a range of medication. However, they are not able to prescribe controlled substances such as narcotics and pain medications.
They also have a blog that offers expert advice on a variety of topics related to health and wellness.
LiveHealth Online
This 24/7 virtual doctor appointment app can also be accessed through a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Each Doctor is given a star rating (ranging from one to five) and app users can select their preferred physician from a curated list. Doctors are readily available to provide expert advice and can send written prescriptions to the pharmacy of the patients choice. Some of the medical issues covered include pink eye, allergies, cold and fever, and skin infections, to name a few. Psychiatry and psychology assistance is also available through LiveHealth Online.
A visit will cost you $49, but it can be less depending on your insurance plan or your employer. Prescriptions can be written if needed, but they cannot provide controlled substances, weight loss drugs, medications containing ephedrine, lifestyle drugs, or muscle relaxants.
PlushCare
Available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, this app also provides patients with board-certified physicians from the top 50 medical schools in the United States. Appointments can be conducted 24/7 365 days a year through your smartphone or computer webcam. PlushCare in-network insurance companies include UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Anthem BlueCross, Cigna, and Blue.
Patients will pay a visit fee based on insurance coverage co-pay requirement. If insurance is not accepted a flat rate of $99 will be charged. Available treatments include issues related to rashes, colds, the flu, UTIs, bronchitis, ear infection, sinus infection, and more. Prescriptions can be sent to the patient’s pharmacy of choice.
Their service also provides hormone, allergies, diabetes, cholesterol, thyroid, and blood testing. Doctors appointments are not required for lab testing, which is associated with separate fees depending on the service requested.
TalkSpace
This app specializes in providing access to licensed therapists. With more than 3,000 licensed therapists to choose from receiving confidential therapy has never been so easy. App users can speak to a therapist in a space that feels familiar and safe to them, wherever that may be, helping to relieve some of the anxiety that might accompany this type of doctor visit.
After downloading the app, patients will be prompted to complete an assessment to identify their therapy needs. TalkSpace offers several plan options to its users. According to their site, these are the current plans they offer.
Unlimited Messaging Therapy Plus: $65/week for text, video & audio messaging. Your therapist responds to messages daily, five days/week. (Billed as $260 monthly)
Unlimited Messaging Therapy Premium: $79/week for text, video & audio messaging + 1 Live Session/month. Your therapist responds to messages daily, five days/week. (Billed as $316 monthly)
LiveTalk Therapy Ultimate: $99/week for text, video & audio messaging + 4 Live Sessions/month. Your therapist responds to messages daily, five days/week. (Billed as $396 monthly)
Couples therapy is available for $99/week (billed as $396 monthly) or $89/week (billed $1068 every three months).
Several companies in the United States cover TalkSpace services through their employee assistance and behavioral benefit programs.
As you can see, many different virtual doctor apps cover a wide variety of specialties. Whatever your medical or phycological needs, you are sure to find an app or two that would be beneficial during a time of need.
Premptively getting ahead of a future sickness wouldn’t be a bad thing! Consider taking a closer look at some of the apps I’ve spoken about; all can be downloaded to iOS and Andriod devices. Having your insurance and personal information entered into the app of your choice will be oh so helpful when you are feeling your worst.
