healthcare costs • winter • holiday • Telehealth • 2 min read • Dec 6, 2016 12:00:00 AM • Written by: Brad Ranks
Catching cold or developing sinus symptoms is never fun. These types of low-acuity ailments are all too common this time of year, and can keep us – and our wallets – from enjoying the holiday season. Fortunately, telehealth services may offer a cure.
To better assess the cost of using telehealth as a replacement of in-person visits, a study was conducted which found that a doctor’s office visit costs an estimated $83 (Medicare populations) to $98 (commercial population) for acute care. At a glance, this may not seem too bad. After all, when you’re sick, you do what you have to do. But what if your primary care provider’s office isn’t open late at night or on the weekends? That same visit would cost $116 (commercial) or $98 (Medicare) at an urgent care; if an urgent care isn’t available, it would be $1,595 (commercial) or $943 (Medicare). That common cold is starting to get pretty pricey now.
That same study showed that the average cost of a telemedicine consult was found to be $40-$50. That’s half as much the lowest estimate above (seeing a primary care provider). If that isn’t appealing enough, most telemedicine services are available all hours of the day, 365 days a year – including holidays.
Don’t empty your wallet or add to an already hectic holiday schedule just to find some symptom relief. Save some time and money by utilizing telemedicine services this cold, flu and holiday season.
