Note: This article was updated July 3 to include new information about psychiatry/behavioral care.
In a world where time is a precious commodity and convenience is king, urgent care doesn't always live up to its name. But one JHU employee's recent experience has illuminated a beacon of hope in the realm of urgent telehealth.
When Beth Thierer first heard about the telehealth service, which launched in January, she was intrigued by the new benefit for JHU employees being offered by Care First Administrators. MDLive offers a low-cost, convenient option for nonemergency medical conditions and behavioral health services 24/7/365.
The thought of spending hours in a crowded waiting room at an urgent care provider for a simple consultation was enough to make the assistant director of JHU's Worklife Programs flinch. "Do I really want to go sit at a walk-in clinic for two hours, when my calendar is already scheduled with back-to-back meetings?" she recalls.
So when illness struck, she decided to give MDLive's telehealth platform a try, even though her previous experience with health care video visits had been inconsistent.
Thierer's journey with MDLive began with a few clicks on the MDLive website, where she could select either medical or behavioral health services, then choose to see the first available provider or to browse through provider specialties and profiles and schedule an appointment. What impressed her most, she says, was the ability to see her actual wait time until she could meet with the provider.
But the true game-changer, she says, came during her consultation, when she was pleasantly surprised by the efficiency of the process. A prescreen questionnaire streamlined her appointment, and she was soon speaking with a doctor. "By the time my meeting ended, the prescription had been called in to my pharmacy," Thierer recalls. Just 35 minutes after scheduling her appointment, she was heading to the pharmacy to pick up her prescription to start healing.
She also was impressed, she says, by MDLive's communication. She received text notifications every step of the way, from appointment confirmation to updates on her prescription status. This level of transparency and engagement left a lasting impression on her, she says.
Reflecting on her experience, Thierer couldn't help but contrast it with her past encounters at urgent care facilities. "Waiting three hours at a clinic, never knowing when you will be seen, sitting in a room full of germs," Thierer muses, recalling the late nights spent in waiting rooms. With MDLive, she was done in a fraction of the time, without ever leaving her home.
From a financial perspective, the benefits were undeniable, she adds. Thierer's MDLive consultation cost her $20, considerably less than she would have been charged for urgent care under her high-deductible health plan. With her health savings account covering the prescription costs, Thierer was astonished by the savings. "The virtual visit saved me a ton of money," she notes.
In the end, Thierer's verdict was clear: MDLive had exceeded her expectations in every way possible. "Easy peasy, highly recommended," she says with enthusiasm.
How to access video visits
Don't wait until you're in need of a doctor. Create your account today at mdlive.com/cfa or call 888-632-2738. See these flyers for more information on services and how to register:
Psychiatry and behavioral health visits are expected to be added in September.
Questions about MDLive? Reach out to JHU's Benefits Service Center at 410-516-2000 or benefits@jhu.edu.
Posted in Benefits+Perks, Health+Well-Being
Tagged hr newswire
