Best Telemedicine Services for an At-Home Doctor’s Visit – CNET [CNET]

June 4, 2022 Amanda Capritto technology

For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO and CDC websites.

The pandemic transformed the way we do everyday tasks, including how we visit the doctor. Now, telemedicine has become commonplace, giving many people more direct access to health care. If you have yet to try telemedicine for yourself and are unsure where to start, keep reading.

You shouldn’t use a telemedicine service as a permanent replacement for your primary care doctor (with the exception of the hybrid models mentioned at the end of this article), but connecting with a good doctor via telemedicine can definitely prove helpful when you’re on your third box of tissues and the contents of your medicine cabinet aren’t helping.

You also shouldn’t use telehealth services when you experience a true emergency, like trouble breathing, or if you sustain an injury that needs immediate attention, like a broken bone (that would be a little tricky to diagnose accurately and treat effectively via video). All that said, here’s a roundup of some of the best telemedicine services out there.

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Apps and websites

Online-only health care systems put doctors and nurses within arm’s reach at all times. While you can’t rely on these services for things like X-rays and surgery, you can lean on them for a virtual doctor visit when you need a quick diagnosis for the flu or other common conditions.

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Amwell

Available 24/7, doctors on Amwell can diagnose and treat an impressive number of health conditions, and that includes prescribing medication and sending it to your preferred pharmacy. Amwell also offers urgent care online. Without insurance, the baseline cost for a visit is $79.

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Sesame on Meta

Sesame offers straightforward health care for a variety of concerns, including primary care, sexual health, mental health and health care for children. You can easily search to find a provider’s availability, and see what price each doctor charges for an online appointment so you’re not surprised by a hidden fee.

If you do have health insurance, Sesame says that you’ll likely be able to find care that’s less than what you’d pay for a deductible, but that it doesn’t provide any paperwork required for submitting insurance claims.

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Teladoc

Teladoc can diagnose and treat just about any general medical condition you can think of, and offers specialist services for mental health, dermatology, sexual health and more. Teladoc can also prescribe medications if necessary.

Unlike some other services, Teladoc doesn’t put a time cap on your visit — you can talk to your doc as long as you like, a refreshing feeling in an industry that typically tries to cycle patients in and out as fast as possible. It even has an “Expert Medical Opinion” service if you want a second opinion on a treatment plan or have more-specific concerns.

The cost of a Teladoc visit varies, depending on your plan and insurance, as well as which services you use. Learn more on its FAQ page.

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Dr On Demand

Doctor On Demand breaks its services down into four main categories: urgent care, behavioral health, preventive health and chronic care, with the preventive health category being relatively distinctive. For instance, many online-only health services don’t offer preventive lab screening services like Doctor On Demand. The baseline cost for a primary care visit at Doctor On Demand without insurance is $75 for a 15-minute consultation.

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TytoCare

This isn’t your traditional telemedicine service, but we’re including it for the innovative at heart. Tyto is an at-home medical exam kit that allows you to check for common conditions by sending high-quality video and audio to a doctor on the other end of the app. Your doctor hears your heart and lungs and sees your ears, throat and skin to diagnose conditions like ear infections, cold, flu, allergies and rashes. The kit is a one-time purchase of $300, and the price of a visit starts at $59 before insurance.

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MDLive

MDLive can help with common medical conditions, as well as mental health and dermatological conditions. If you receive a diagnosis, MDLive can prescribe medication and send it to your preferred pharmacy. Via the MDLive app, you can access care at any time. Depending on your health insurance, an urgent care visit will cost $0 to $82.

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K Health

If you want to find out more about your symptoms, but not necessarily talk to a doctor (although you have the option to), try K Health. This app aggregates data from millions of users — don’t worry, it’s secure — and shows you how doctors have previously treated patients with symptoms similar to yours. This can help in situations when you’re not quite sure what to do, for instance, if you don’t know whether you have a cold or are experiencing allergies. It also answers questions parents may have about their child’s symptoms.

If you do want to speak to a doctor, K Health advertises a $35 one-time visit fee, or a $49 monthly fee for unlimited visits.

Helplines

All of the above telehealth services offer their own 24/7 care numbers, as do most insurance companies. You can find your insurance company’s hotline by searching “[insurance company] nurse hotline” on the web. Usually, all you need to do is input your geographic location and plan type, and then you can call.

But if you’re uninsured, you may be wondering where to turn if you just need a quick question answered over the phone. Free helpline options for the uninsured population are limited, but you do have a few.

Many states offer free nurses on-call hotlines, as do individual hospitals. To find them, it’s usually a matter of a quick Google search for “free nurse hotline [state or hospital].”

You can also visit the National Institutes of Health hotline page to find phone numbers for specific health conditions, including allergies, heart health, mental health and more.

Hybrid models

Hybrid telehealth businesses combine in-person medical care and online services for a seamless system. These models can replace traditional primary care with an option that gives you easier access to your doctor, longer visits and deeper insights about your health.

forward-health-screen — Hybrid models like Forward Health combine in-person primary care with tech to create a seamless, convenient way to get the care you need.

Forward Health

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One Medical

With One Medical, you can book appointments, renew prescriptions, access medical records and get health reminders all within the One Medical app. If you’re not feeling an in-person visit, you can simply message your doctor or have a FaceTime-esque appointment through their video chat software. One Medical has a yearly membership cost of $199, and the copay you’ll be responsible for each visit depends on your insurance and your reason for the visit.

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Forward Health

At this “doctor’s office of the future,” Forward Health a very thorough baseline visit followed by unlimited in-person visits and online chats with your provider. A membership at Forward costs $149 per month with no copays, and you don’t need insurance to be a member, but it’s highly recommended just in case you have an emergency or you need to see a specialist.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

Apps and websites

Helplines

Hybrid models

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