A New York-based health insurer will soon reimburse more than 22,000 physicians for Web-based consultations in most of its benefit plans.
MVP Health Care, based in Schenectady, is partnering with Mohawk Valley Medical Associates, an independent physician association also based in Schenectady, to offer its physicians immediate reimbursement and subsidies to defray expenses incurred in using RelayHealth's webVisit platform.
Based in Atlanta, RelayHealth is the connectivity subsidiary of McKesson.
“Empowering MVP members with the ability to engage with their physician through online services provides a more convenient way for patients and families to interact with their physician," said Augusta Martin, MVP Health Care's vice president of marketing innovation.
Members can use webVisit for online evaluations of non-urgent symptoms, such as sinus or back pain.
“(RelayHealth) has reduced patient phone calls and foot traffic, and helps my staff manage patient requests more efficiently,” said Keith Michl, MD, an internist in Manchester, Vt., who has used the service for several years.
“Our goal is to identify 200 physicians, and we plan to find at least 50 more in different markets who will actively use webVisit consultations,” said Jerry Salkowe, MD, MVP's vice president for quality improvement. “So far, physician feedback is enthusiastic because RelayHealth is very easy to implement and will complement their electronic health records. We expect online connectivity will be very well received in all of our markets.”