Dive Brief:
- Independence Blue Cross of Philadelphia recently announced that it will cover telemedicine.
- The company's CEO, Daniel J. Hilferty says the telemedicine option won't replace members' relationships with their primary care doctors, "but rather expand the options for access to convenient, timely healthcare, which also include our network of retail health clinics and urgent care centers."
- To talk with physicians on an iPad, cell phone or other digital devices members can either have consultations or access a nationwide network of board-certified primary care physicians via MDLIVE - a national telemedicine vendor.
Dive Insight:
The company clarified members may use telemedicine through their local primary care physician provided it is via a HIPAA-secure video and not a medical emergency. According to the release, this is more cost-effective than an emergency room or urgent care visit.
The telemedicine option is available to members enrolled in commercial fully-insured and self-funded Keystone Health Plan East HMO or Personal Choice PPO plans. The MDLIVE option is only available to certain members depending on their employer benefits.
There are 29 states plus the District of Columbia that have telemedicine commercial insurance laws that require insurers to cover telehealth services to the same extent they are covered if provided in-person, according to Health Care Law Today.
Independence Blue Cross and its affiliates provide insurance to 9 million people in 32 states and the District of Columbia.