Online or virtual visits is a trend that is gaining impetus in healthcare. For various reasons people are receiving medical care from their physicians through online platforms. This trend has benefits and concerns. The benefits and concerns differ depending on the perspective from which they are being viewed. From the perspective of a commercial payer, the online visits help increase coverage, especially in the remote areas (Herman, 2016). The scholar argues that the potential for increased coverage among the elderly population, many of whom live outside metro areas is part of the reason why commercial payers have embraced the online visits.
Another benefit of commercial payers is that it has the potential to reduce the costs (Herman, 2016). The online visits mean that the health seekers do not need to visit expensive health facilities where there are many other costs that are bundled together for the commercial payers. Additionally, bringing healthcare closer to the patients through virtual visits will also reduce the costs, hence smaller reimbursements to the physicians (Maheu, Whitten & Allen, 2001).
However, there are some concerns that need to be addressed to ensure the potential benefits are realized. One of the concerns for commercial payers is that some practitioners may not be able to provide all the services required by the patient (Wickramasinghe, 2012). For instance, a physician might consult with a patients and determine a treatment regime that involves surgery. If the physician cannot offer the surgery, the patient will be referred to another facility, an action that might lead to the escalation of costs that the commercial payer has to meet (Torrieri, 2012).
References
Herman, B. (2016). Virtual reality: More insurers are embracing telehealth. Retrieved from http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20160220/MAGAZINE/302209980
Maheu, M. M., Whitten, P., & Allen, A. (2001). E-Health, telehealth, and telemedicine: A guide to start-up and success. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Torrieri, M. (2012). Virtual Patient Visits. Retrieved from http://www.physicianspractice.com/technology/virtual-patient-visits
Wickramasinghe, N. (2012). Critical issues for the development of sustainable e-health solutions. New York, NY: Springer Science+Business Media, LL
