August 24, 2023 |
Photo – Heart EKG – Courtesy Amaze Health
County employees will have access to a new telemedicine provider.
Current Carbon County employees can use a remote medical service called Teledoc. Patients can call a provided number and have a health care provider call back after an indeterminate time. The doctor or nurse can provide medical and billing advice.
Telehealth has become an increasingly popular alternative to a physical doctor’s visit since COVID, especially for people unable to make it to a brick-and-mortar doctor’s office due to infirmity or distance.
During the August 15th Commissioners meeting, County Clerk Gwen Bartlett said the Teledoc service hasn’t been working to her satisfaction.
Clerk Bartlett said Teledoc costs the county $5 a person every month plus an undisclosed fee when the service is used. Bartlett said she didn’t know how often the telehealth provider’s services are required because Teledoc refuses to provide the statistics.
Bartlett said the county has two options for replacing Teledoc. Clerk Bartlett said the county’s current insurance provider has a telehealth service called MDLive. Bartlett said MDLive would save the county $4.50 an employee every month.
The second option, and the one Bartlett recommended the county choose, is a service called Amaze Health. The county clerk said Amaze Health requires a flat fee of $20 a month per employee. Bartlett said the set price could potentially save the county money if enough people use the service.
Bartlett said the $20 a month fee covers employees and their immediate family. The county clerk said Amaze Health provides a litany of medical services to members.
Bartlett said Amaze Health is superior to Teledoc. Through the company’s phone app, users can get real-time communication with a medical provider as opposed to waiting for a call back from Teledoc.
Bartlett said she recommends switching to Amaze Health from Teledoc. The county clerk said the board can always opt for Blue Cross’s MDLive if they are dissatisfied with Amaze Health.
The board of commissioners voted to stop using Teledoc and switch to Amaze for county employees’ telehealth needs. Clerk Bartlett said she doesn’t know when Amaze Health will be available to use. The company requires a series of in-person training seminars to teach people how to use the phone application. Bartlett said the county can choose to stop using Amaze Health at any time.
