Telemedicine Surges, Fueled by Coronavirus Fears and Shift in Payment Rules

From the Kaiser Health News website

Lukas Kopacki, home from college after the coronavirus pandemic closed his campus, was feeling lousy for days with headaches, sore throat and difficulty breathing through his nose. But he worried that a trip to a doctor’s office might make him sicker.

“I had no desire to go into that cesspool of bacteria and viruses,” said Kopacki, 19, of Ringwood, New Jersey.

So, last week the University of Vermont student called Teladoc, a company that connects patients to doctors by phone nationwide. Its physician diagnosed his sinus infection and sent a prescription for an antibiotic to his local pharmacy. With his Aetna health coverage, which earlier this month temporarily waived its $45 patient copayment for virtual care, Kopacki paid out-of-pocket $1.44, which covered his costs for the drug.

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The coronavirus pandemic accelerated the implementation of telemedicine, also called virtual care. There are doctors and patients who still prefer a face-to-face office visit. Others prefer limiting office visits to serious illness. Costs and medical coverage will dictate future implementation of telemedicine.