In an effort to provide convenient access to health care, insurance plans across the country are taking the transformative step of bringing health care to their members through telehealth services.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan and Pennsylvania-based Capital BlueCross are the most recent insurers to join with telehealth services provider, American Well Corp. to provide convenient access to care for their members.
Telehealth is not meant to replace a visit to the doctor, but as Brooke Nordai of Capital BlueCross says: “[It] is a convenience-focused service for members who might not have time for an office visit, or who might need care outside of normal office hours.”
This move by the Michigan and Pennsylvania based Blues plans, following earlier moves by Anthem and other Blues plans in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, among others, illustrates the proliferation of telehealth services and highlights the transformative potential telehealth offers by providing expanded access to better, more efficient care.
This critical move by carriers across the nation is consistent with and complementary to the efforts The Margolin Group is taking endeavoring to build telehealth components into our work in support of individuals across the spectrum of care, with special focus on returning veterans, individuals with severe and persistent mental illness and substance use diagnoses and various other vulnerable and underserved populations. We welcome the partnership of these enlightened payers as we join with payers and providers across the nation to expand access, improve care, reduce cost, and simplify the overall care experience.