Americans waste millions of dollars a year seeking healthcare in the wrong places.
The “right place,” on the other hand, just might be the home computer. That’s the philosophy behind American Well, a Boston-based company that has created on Online Healthcare Marketplace, where patients can interact with physicians for quick and convenient medical consults.
“The concept of extending healthcare into people’s homes … has incredible value,” said Roy Schoenberg, the company’s CIO. “It’s an accessible tier of care that isn’t an alternative model of healthcare – it’s just using technology to extend the reach of healthcare.”
American Well launched its platform in Hawaii on Jan. 15, with assistance from the Hawaii Medical Service Association and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Hawaii, and will soon be launching its “virtual clinic” in Minnesota with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. Schoenberg said large health plans and employers are now lining up to get a look at the system.
“There definitely is a major, major movement among some of the larger insurers in the country toward online care,” said Schoenberg. ‘They like the capability to direct care of the patient to the more appropriate setting.”
Without that access, he said, people will make unnecessary appointments with physicians or visit the local emergency room or clinic. Recent studies, in fact, have indicated that as much as 80 percent of all emergency room visits are unnecessary.
Through American Well’s Online Care, accessed through Microsoft’s HealthVault platform, people can connect with physicians who can conduct simple online examinations, offer diagnoses, even prescribe medications. The service is particularly helpful to those in remote locations or who have trouble visiting a doctor, people with simple medical questions, and those with chronic conditions.
Schoenberg also points out that the service can be used by those enrolled in different health plans or without any health insurance. The system is set up to charge different fees based on membership in participating health plans, with 10-minute sessions usually costing between $10 and $45.
“This is the very first time that a health plan is offering healthcare coverage to every member of its state,” he said.
In Minnesota, Online Care is being rolled out to Blue Cross’ 10,000 employees and family members at the company’s campuses in Eagan and Virginia. The service may be made available to employer groups and additional consumers as soon as 2010.
“We believe that in order to get healthcare costs under control, respond to consumer needs and reshape healthcare delivery for the future, that new care models are critical,” said Pat Geraghty, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. “We can’t continue to deliver care the same way we have been doing for years and expect the cost and access equation to change. That’s why we are bringing Online Care to Minnesota.”
Schoenberg said Hawaii “has seen ample adoption (of Online Care) by consumers and providers across all of the islands,” and that more than half of all visits have led to full-dose prescriptions.