What's been going on? While PPACA/Obamacare is attempting to provide Health Insurance to the entire population - to the profit of Insurers - what is being done to provide access to affordable healthcare to the U.S. Population—very little!
Here's the Reality! The Health Insurance Plans being offered through PPACA/Obamacare will leave most people – Employees and Individuals - with high out-of-pocket expenses, including paying for Doctor's office visits, high deductibles, and unaffordable co-pays. No one will be guaranteed access to Doctors or Healthcare in a timely fashion. With the glut of newly insured Americans and a shortage of Physicians, Doctor's office visits will be more difficult to schedule and the Emergency Rooms will remain over-burdened and expensive! What are Americans going to do when they are ill or hurt and need a Doctor's advice and expertise?
Adding to the problem, it is estimated that 70% of Doctor's Office visits are unnecessary and that “More than two-thirds of the 6.5 million emergency room visits for people under age 65 are avoidable” according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (Academy). The Academy goes on to point out that more than 40% of all ER visits are unnecessary, wasting money and time. This cuts into the Doctor's and the Worker's productivity. The Academy predicts the shortage of family doctors will reach 40,000 in the next 10 years which could limit accessibility for patients.
What are the problems? The above topics boil down to two major problems that PPACA/Obamacare fails to address. (And there are actually Strategies and Solutions available!)
People need immediate, affordable phone consultation access to emergency-trained physicians for non-emergency and emergency health problems – accidents and illnesses, even if they have a pre-existing condition.
An efficient and cost-effective system is needed to reduce unnecessary utilization of Healthcare Services by providing subscribers immediate phone consultation access to trained emergency Doctors. The result? Most illnesses and accidents will not require an office or ER visit which saves both Employees and Employers money with decreased use of services that are not necessary. This system must provide a verifiable ROI to gain Employer sponsorship and participation.
Strategies and Solutions! Can you imagine? While PPACA/Obamacare has been busy promoting Insurance Plans, what we really need is a Plan that provides immediate access to trained emergency and non-emergency Doctors at an affordable price for Employers with verifiable cost-savings. The strategies should include:
The utilization of next generation advanced Telemedicine, TeleHealth, and Mobile Health
A plan that encourages “Call the Doctor First” utilization to eliminate self-diagnosis and delayed care
A Plan that has no charge per call with no limitations or exclusions
A Plan that provides for emergency and non-emergency care for accidents and illness, including pre-existing conditions
A Plan that substantially reduces the unnecessary utilization of Doctor's office and ER visits
A Plan that will send a Medical Report to the subscriber's physician
A Plan that can include family members
Access to a network of emergency trained physicians on call 24/7
A flat, affordable monthly fee - with no per-call charges - that encourages – rather than discourages utilization
A service that can include a medical kit including prescription medications specific to each participant
A Plan that follows-up to assure proper care was received
A Plan that provides Cost-Saving (ROI Calculators) – to accurately demonstrate the Health Plan Savings on Fully Insured or Self-Funded Plans and Workers' Compensation
The Bad News! Our original due diligence was disappointing. We found that if you want the intended results, you need to scratch below the surface claims of the Telemedice Plan providers and Plans. As the industry has developed many business models have been created that fall short of their claims to provide timely patient access to a Physician. Our initial research could not find a company or model that delivered the desired outcomes that we listed above. Buyers Beware! Most Telemedicine plans do not provide immediate Doctor access, or a return on the investment dollars by reducing the use of the Employer's Healthcare Plan, or the care that is promised! The Plans are provided at a minimal – or no cost – but do not help reduce Healthcare Utilization. You get what you pay for!
The Good News! Following our initial research, we did find one Telemedicine Company that stood out from the others. It meets the 12 Standards listed above and more. Their Plans are the “Gold Standard” of Telemedicine; the Plan is designed to put the patient's needs first, not the convenience of the doctor's schedule first. And the Plan has over thirty years of field experience. This one specific company delivers measurable savings – generally 20-40% - to Fully Insured, Self-Funded, and Workers' Compensation Plan Designs. Estimated savings, utilizing ROI Calculators, are based on national statistics, thirty years of Client data, and even the Employer's Specific Data.
Your Call To Action -- Avoid a Crisis - Generate Health Insurance, Healthcare, and Workers' Comp Savings! Call – 216.577.5579 / Email – max@benefitplace.biz
For the Plan Design, see the BPTradeShow Exhibitor Booth – Go To – BPTradeShow.com
For the Impact on Employer Groups, see - http://agents.getmedcallassist.com/agent/philip-eide/groups/
For the Impact on Individuals, Families, Groups, and All Pricing, see - http://agents.getmedcallassist.com/agent/philip-eide/families/
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