Imagine
a mother who is juggling two children under the age of five and a
full-time hourly wage job. When her child contracts pink eye or a
worsening cold or a sinus infection or asthma, she is forced to choose
between giving up wages to see the primary care physician or going to
the emergency department that is unable to turn her away, even if she
cannot pay, after work hours. Many choose the latter option but it is
costly and risks additional illness. While retail clinics have closed
some of the gap in primary care, telehealth visits have the potential to
close even more of the gap. Unfortunately, these visits are rarely
covered by private payers and are rarely covered by public payers like
Medicare and Medicaid. So, unless the mother can afford $40-55, the
telehealth visit, while saving time, will not be utilized.
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