Louisiana Residents Urged to Visit a Doctor Electronically
Not everyone who is ill has the coronavirus. That can be a perplexing problem for someone who needs to discuss another medical issue with a qualified physician. The last thing most of us want to do is tread anywhere near a place where sick people might be. The last time I checked, sick people frequented doctor's offices. So, that begs the question, "what can we do about non-coronavirus related medical issues"?
The answer to that question might be in your pocket, on your lap, or on your "desk" that you made from an ironing board for your new "home office". That's right you can now visit a doctor via your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
In fact, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is suggesting to their members that telehealth options might be there best bet to maintain social spacing, stay at home, avoid sick people, and still get qualified medical advice.
My wife and I recently used our insurance company's telehealth portal and I have to admit, the visit went a lot better than I thought it would. There was significant wait time. We had to wait almost an hour to "see" the doctor. But the wait was comparable to many doctor's offices that I have been in so, it wasn't that bad.
The process started with filling out medical history forms and offering an explanation of the reason for our visit. We had several healthcare professionals that we could choose from. We chose one that made us feel the most comfortable.
After a few minutes, about 15 or so in total, the doctor offered his advice and electronically submitted a prescription that was needed to our pharmacy right down the street.
So, if you're suffering a medical malady that requires a doctor's attention but not emergency attention you might want to see if your insurance provider offers this service. I would imagine once the coronavirus pandemic flattens those wait times we discussed will be even shorter and it sure was more comfortable to wait for the doctor on my couch than in a waiting room full of sicker people than me.