On Monday, the clinic announced a service called MyCare Online, which enables patients to quickly be seen by medical professionals at any time of the day or week. Virtual visits can take place through just about any camera-equipped personal computer, tablet or smart phone.
Some insurance companies cover the costs of virtual visits, the clinic said. But anyone can book a 10-minute appointment with a health provider for $49.
The service is particularly useful for time-pressed patients with complaints such as a cough, diarrhea, fever, headaches, abdominal pain and urinary tract infections, Cleveland Clinic Florida said in a news release. During the virtual visits, health providers can evaluate, diagnose and treat ailments and prescribe medicine if necessary.
“The way we deliver services is rapidly evolving and technology allows us to make access to healthcare more convenient,” said J. Gregory Rosencrance MD, chairman of internal medicine at Cleveland Clinic Florida, in the news release. If an emergency happens at night or on a weekend, “patients can be seen and treated instantly or advised to go to the hospital for further treatment.”
Availability of telemedicine services is increasing despite Florida lawmakers’ inability over the past two years to enact regulations over how services should be provided in the state. That failure left questions unresolved, including how Medicare and Medicaid would compensate telehealth providers, whether a live healthcare worker must be present when Medicare and Medicaid patients are treated, whether providers must be licensed in Florida, and whether teleheath can be used to prescribe eyeglasses, contact lenses or other optical devices.
All of the physicians available through Cleveland Clinic Florida’s service are licensed to care for Florida patients, even if they are located in other states, clinic spokeswoman Arlene Allen-Mitchell said in an email interview.
Robert Weissert, senior vice president of research with Florida Tax Watch, said the private marketplace is moving forward rather than waiting for state regulation. Florida Tax Watch wants the legislature to create a framework to encourage more telehealth innovation in Florida, Weissert said.
“The possibilities are extraordinary,” he said in an interview Monday, “from the mundane like having a doctor listen to a cough on the phone to performing microscopic surgery.”
Cleveland Clinic is partnering with a national company called American Well, a pioneer in telemedicine. The company works with several large insurers and medical providers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield in six states, Rite Aid, Massachusetts General Hospital, Tufts Medical Center and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Through its platform, American Well also provides services within hospital systems, including linking primary care providers and their patients to specialists via tablets.
Cleveland Clinic’s website lists the most common conditions that can be diagnosed and treated online. They include bronchitis, asthma, cough and cold symptoms, earaches, minor burns or laceration, allergies, sinus infections, skin rashes, urinary tract infections and yeast infections.
American Well’s website advises that telehealth “is not for emergencies” including seizure, chest pain, neurological symptoms suggesting a stroke, difficulty breathing, dizziness or loss of consciousness, sudden bleeding, head injury, cancer, possible broken bones, schizophrenia, and a desire to hurt oneself or others.
Date: September 28, 2015