The rise of the Internet has revolutionized every aspect of the modern economy. The medical industry is no exception. As we have developed faster and more reliable ways of communicating online, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare practitioners have been able to enhance their services as well.

One important way medical practitioners have improved their accessibility to their patients is through telemedicine. By using the Internet and other advanced telecommunications to provide health services remotely, doctors and nurses can reach their patients when distance, time, or a health risk is a barrier to the conventional office visit. Telemedicine is a flexible and affordable way to get care for certain non-emergency health conditions that are not life-threatening.

What is telemedicine?

Put simply, telemedicine is the means by which patients can communicate with their doctors or other health professionals using technology rather than visiting a doctor’s office, medical clinic, or hospital.

Telemedicine is not new. Health practitioners have provided telemedicine services on landline telephones for years; certain specialists have offered telehealth services since as early as the 1980s, according to the Office of Health Policy.  But with the proliferation of Internet services, improvements in Internet reliability, and mainstream adoption of email, smart phones and web site usage, telemedicine services have expanded. Telemedicine has become a more common, affordable alternative to the office visit.

With telemedicine, you can discuss symptoms, health concerns, and more with a healthcare practitioner using a smart phone, video conferencing, online secure website portal, and email. Telemedicine makes it easier to make diagnoses, monitor your health, or perform other services that do not require physical contact between your doctor and you.

Telemedicine vs. telehealth: do they differ?

Especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ve probably heard people talk about “telemedicine” and “telehealth” as though the terms mean the same thing. Actually, they do not. Telehealth refers to a method or means of promoting quality health care. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) describes telehealth as the use of electronic information and telecommunications to support distance clinical care for individuals, public health, health education, and health administration. Telehealth is broader than telemedicine. It includes non-clinical aspects of health care, such as appointment scheduling, electronic medical records, and continuing medical education for physicians.

Telemedicine is a service provided by health professionals to their patients. It uses technology to support patient – health practitioner communications. It may be helpful to think of telemedicine in terms of three categories described by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):

1. Interactive medicine or “live telemedicine” in which physicians and patients communicate in real time, using audio/video technology.
2. Virtual check-ins that are usually patient-initiated, using any number of technologies, such as email, telephone, or secure text messaging.
3. E-visits in which the patient communicates with his or her doctor by logging onto a secure patient portal of the practice or clinic website.

Telemedicine also occurs when a doctor monitors his or her patient’s blood pressure or blood sugar remotely, using the patient’s mobile medical equipment that collects data. And when the doctor shares patient data in a consultation with other healthcare specialists.

Is telemedicine safe and effective?

Telemedicine doesn’t replace physician office visits for every healthcare situation. For example, it isn’t appropriate for emergency situations such as symptoms of a heart attack, stroke, uncontrolled bleeding, or loss of consciousness, or a suspected broken bone caused by an accident. These situations require immediate medical treatment and diagnostic tests. However, telemedicine is effective for simple issues and follow-up consultations after a visit. For instance, telemedicine can be a convenient and effective means of getting medical advice if you have symptoms of a cold or flu, suspect a cut or insect bite has become infected, or experience mild side-effects to a prescription drug. Telemedicine is also used in dermatology for consultation of moles or rashes and similar skin conditions as well as in psychotherapy.

What are the benefits of telemedicine?

Convenient, affordable access to medical consultations is the chief benefit of telemedicine for those who have the electronic technology to support telemedicine and the ease to use it.

If you (like many others) have ever felt ill and went to the doctor’s office only to find that your illness was widespread but minor and would pass with rest and time, you may have thought you wasted your own time and your doctor’s. The dilemma is that you don’t know whether your symptoms signal a mild or serious illness or how your condition should be treated. Telemedicine can be an efficient way for you to get the medical advice you need and for your doctor to gather information, see your condition, diagnose, and prescribe treatment for simple health issues.

Telemedicine may offer you other benefits, including:

• Affordability – Telemedicine is often less expensive than a regular physician office visit because it is focused on a specific health issue of concern. When chosen as an alternative to a visit to a hospital emergency room or urgent care center, telemedicine is typically significantly lower in cost. Remember, however, it is not an alternative to emergency room care if you think you may be experiencing a life-threatening or disabling event.
• Remote Access– For people who live in rural areas, are homebound, or have transportation restrictions, visits to the doctor may be infrequent and occur only after a health condition has advanced.  Telemedicine services may remove some of these barriers to care.
• Improved Monitoring– For people with chronic conditions, such as heart disease, hypertension, depression, or diabetes, telemedicine may offer convenient means for sharing essential health information so their doctors can monitor their condition and make adjustments to treatment, as needed.
• Patient Engagement– For those who have sporadic questions about healthy lifestyle, health condition, nutrition and diet, medications, or safety/fall prevention, telemedicine allows people to engage directly with their healthcare providers in a convenient manner.

Does my doctor provide telemedicine services?

An increasing number of doctors and clinics offer telemedicine services to their patients whether or not their patients have health insurance. You aren’t required to have health insurance to use telemedicine. It may be a good idea to contact your healthcare provider and inquire if telemedicine services are available.

Does health insurance cover telemedicine services?

As the popularity of telemedicine grows among consumers and providers of healthcare services, many health insurance plans are beginning to offer or to expand coverage for telemedicine visits. Medicare, for example, expanded telemedicine coverage for Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare acted, in part, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to reduce the risk of virus exposure and spread.  In part, Medicare recognized that for a considerable number of people, telemedicine was a good complement to doctor visits, helping patients and their healthcare providers stay in touch and potentially improving quality of care and life.

Many commercial carriers provide coverage for telemedicine. In some instances, state laws require such coverage. But the terms of coverage for telemedicine vary among insurance carriers. For example, some insurance plans may apply a separate copayment or cost-sharing amount you pay. An insurer is likely to be very specific about who delivers telemedicine and what services may be covered. If your health insurance provider covers telemedicine, they probably have a specific definition of services that qualify. For instance, coverage may be limited to medical advice delivered by licensed medical professionals participating in the plan and provided from:

• The practitioner’s office
• Hospitals, including critical access hospitals
• Rural health clinics
• Federally-qualified health centers
• Skilled nursing facilities
• Community mental health centers

You can learn more about which health insurance companies offer coverage for telemedicine services by visiting eHealth’s health insurance by state page. Then select the insurance company’s plan and click on coverage details. Usually “telemedicine” or “telehealth” appears in the additional coverage information section.  If you prefer, eHealth licensed agents can help you understand an insurance company’s telemedicine coverage, limitations, or exclusions.

eHealth offers a wide variety of health insurance plans, including many that cover telemedicine. To find affordable, quality insurance for yourself or your family, check out our individual and family plans. eHealth customer service assistants are ready to help you find affordable health insurance on our website, or you may consult one of our licensed health insurance agents to find the coverage that meets your needs. As the first and largest online health insurance brokerage, eHealth offers superior customer support at no extra cost, so that you can find the best plan possible. We look forward to serving you.

This article is for general information and may not be updated after publication. Consult your own tax, accounting, or legal advisor instead of relying on this article as tax, accounting, or legal advice.