The nation's largest drugstore chain has joined the fast-growing ranks of telemedicine providers, partnering with MDLive to push a mobile platform out to as many as 25 states by the end of the year.
Walgreens Boots Alliance has announced that its smartphone app pilot, in beta since December, will now include laptops and PCs and be made available soon to customers in five states – California, Michigan, Illinois, Colorado and Washington. The company hopes to add 20 more states by the end of the year.
“We believe telehealth solutions can play an important role in helping to improve patient outcomes,” Adam Pellegrini, Walgreens vice president of digital health, told Forbes.
Working with MDLive, Walgreens will offer traditional telemedicine – a "virtual visit" with a board certified doctor for as much as $49. The visits will cover a number of primary care issues, replacing the time-consuming trip to the doctor's office or the local hospital for 'non-emergency' issues.
"We're very careful in only using telemedicine for certain conditions that are amenable to this," Walgreens Chief Medical Officer Dr. Harry Leider told the Associated Press. "We're not treating heart attacks."
On April 30, the nation's largest health insurer, UnitedHealthcare, announced that it would expand coverage options for virtual visits for its members in 47 states and the District of Colombia through the Health4Me app, bolstering an online care network that includes Doctor On Demand, American Well and Optum's NowClinic. That move is expected to boost the number of members who can access telemedicine from 1 million this year to 20 million in 2016.
“UnitedHealthcare is developing innovative telemedicine solutions that enable consumers, especially people who live in rural areas of the country, to access quality, cost-effective health care, whether at home or on the go,” Jeff Alter, CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s Commercial Group business, said in a press release. “Consumers can save time and money choosing among quality physician groups from the convenience of their smartphone, tablet or home computer at any time of the day.”
According to the American Telemedicine Association, as many as 450,000 patients will see a doctor online for a primary care consult this year.
"I would say without a doubt it's the fastest area of growth in telemedicine," ATA CEO Jonathan Linkous told the Associated Press. "There's this convenience factor that makes it so compelling to consumers."
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