Consult A Doctor Unveils TeleCare 3.0TM SaaS Telemedicine Platform for Health Plans
Innovative Platform offers powerful solutions designed to drive down costs, increase revenues and provide members with revolutionary 24/7 access to physicians via phone and online.
Miami, FL (PRWEB) June 9, 2010
Today at AHIP Institute, Consult A Doctor, Inc., announced TeleCare 3.0TM, a next generation solution enabling health plans to offer consumer-directed telemedicine services by phone and online. With TeleCare 3.0TM, health plans can lower costs and facilitate care delivery between their physician network and members in new, efficient ways.
TeleCare 3.0TM is a customizable software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that utilizes the latest advances in internet and digital telephony for heath plans to provide on-demand 24/7 access to their network of physicians. The platform enables the health plan to immediately drive down costs and transform how many healthcare benefits are accessed and delivered. Plan members will have convenient and efficient access to medically equivalent care in a lower-cost setting, the home. Thereby, reducing unnecessary doctor and emergency room visits. “Consult A Doctor’s innovative telemedicine solutions will transform the inefficiencies of the healthcare marketplace and reduce costs for employer-sponsored plans, uninsured and underinsured individuals and families,” says Wolf Shlagman, Founder and CEO.
Health Plans utilizing Consult A Doctor’s TeleCare 3.0TM Platform can expect to:
Grow Membership - Provide immediate access to a physician 24/7/365 Telemedicine services will be a major differentiator and competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Drive Down Costs by Providing Access to Appropriate Care in Lowest Cost Setting Providing on-demand healthcare in the home, the least expensive care setting, therefore reducing costs for all.
Provide Affordable Access to Healthcare for the Underinsured and Uninsured The TeleCare 3.0 TM platform provides powerful utilization management to provide the right solution to the right population. Health plans can set parameters to define the plan’s financial contribution and member’s out of pocket co-pay.
Strengthen bonds with medical providers Offering new income opportunities and care delivery tools strengthens the relationship between the plan and its network providers. “For physicians, using the TeleCare 3.0TM system is not just about additional income. It provides a way to take back control of their practices, of their lives. It creates additional access points for physicians to interact with their patients. It is a much desired way of streamlining their operations, to get faster and more efficient reimbursement, an improved lifestyle and the freedom to practice from anywhere at any time with powerful online EMR, e-prescribing and evidence based tools. In addition, many physicians believe this technological capability will provide a competitive advantage for their practices,” says Doug Smith, M. D. Chief Medical Officer. All this and comprehensive malpractice coverage is included by a top rated carrier especially for telemedicine delivered via the TeleCare 3.0TM Platform.
Dr. Smith continued, – “providing healthcare in the home, the least expensive care setting, shifts the benefit consumption from more expensive settings, such as physicians' offices, clinics and emergency rooms, therefore reducing cost. This is one of the first and most important steps in healthcare reform and a major step forward toward truly achieving the goal of the Medical Home”.
Consult A Doctor goes one step further than any other solution in the market by offering a unique hybrid option for health plans that combines the power of the TeleCare 3.0TM platform with Consult A Doctor’s existing suite of telemedicine services it has been providing for over 2 years, named CADR 24/7TM. This powerful fusion provides a potent solution unique in the marketplace. "Health plan members will be able access care from Consult A Doctor’s own nationwide network of US licensed board certified physicians as soon as the health plan launches the telemedicine program to its members while physicians from the health plans’ own networks enroll to provide care through the platform as well”, says Shlagman.
“The TeleCare 3.0TM platform combined with on-demand CADR 24/7TM telemedicine services allows consumers to access healthcare anytime online and even more conveniently using any telephone with 3 levels of service to choose from - immediate access to a doctor ”OnCall”, call back of under an hour “Priority” and by “ Appointment.” In addition, we offer a whole suite of concierge-like services that include live support via an 800 number that will guide members in taking a 7-8 minute medical questionnaire over the phone whereby the medical record is available for the physician within the TeleCare 3.0 TM platform”, says Shlagman.
CADR 24/7TM empowers health plans with the option to quickly roll out a telemedicine solution into their markets by initially providing health plan members access to Consult A Doctor’s 24/7 cross-coverage network of always available telemedicine physicians. Accessible from anywhere, around the clock, physicians are available to provide answers and advice regarding non-emergency, preventative, maintenance and routine medical questions and issues. Unnecessary doctor’s office and emergency room visits can be avoided by utilizing a telemedicine physician, who will discuss symptoms, recommend treatment, diagnose many common, minor and/or brief illnesses and even prescribe medication when appropriate. All calls are recorded and the interactions can be forwarded to the primary care physician to maintain continuity of care.
“Health plans are now realizing that they must start to look at innovations in the marketplace in order to lower costs, provide greater access to healthcare, and retain or increase their market share. All of these goals can be accomplished by offering telemedicine solutions such as those provided by Consult A Doctor,” Says Shlagman. The latest studies show phone and online consultations generate significant cost savings for plan sponsors and benefit payers while providing greater access to physicians. Consult A Doctor offers the most comprehensive suite of consumer-friendly telemedicine services available, with multiple convenient ways to contact a doctor and a thorough Personal Health Manager with an expansive health and medical library, wellness tools and a personal health record.
Consult A Doctor is exhibiting TeleCare 3.0TM at: AHIP Institute 2010 Booth # 707 June 18-20, 2008
About Consult A Doctor, Inc.
Consult A Doctor is a leading provider of Consumer-Directed Telemedicine Services (CADR 24/7TM) and Telemedicine Technology Platform Solutions (TeleCare 3.0TM) empowering organizations to lower health care costs, improve quality care and provide revolutionary access to affordable and convenient healthcare. Consult A Doctor partners with health insurance companies, self-insured groups, third-party administrators, brokers and others to offer convenient 24/7 access to doctor consultations by phone and online to their members and customers. Its proprietary nationwide network of U. S.-based physicians provides specific answers to medical questions and advice regarding non-emergency, routine medical conditions. All Consult A Doctor physicians are carefully screened, credentialed and have are covered by malpractice insurance. They discuss symptoms, recommend treatment options, diagnose many minor conditions, and can prescribe medication when appropriate. Consult A Doctor’s platform solutions and telemedicine service reduces healthcare cost for all payers by providing members with convenient efficient access to medically equivalent care in a lower-cost setting, considerably reducing unnecessary doctor, ER and urgent care visits.
For more information please call 888-688-DOCTOR (888-688-3628) or visit http://www. consultadoctor. com (http://www. consultadoctor. com)
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