Why Virtual-First Health Plans Benefit You
Blue Daily
| 3 min read
Life is busy. Your health is important. Sometimes life gets in the way of effectively managing your health. To address this, you need convenient access to care when and where you want it – whether you’re looking for an annual checkup or help when you’re sick. But it can be challenging to fit a doctor’s appointment into a hectic schedule.
Harnessing the need for virtual care
Enter virtual primary care. It’s a dedicated health plan that helps you access care quickly, easily and affordably.
In partnership with Doctor On Demand by Included Health, Blue Care Network will be offering a Virtual Primary Care plan to members beginning Jan. 1, 2023.
“You’ll get fast, easy access to primary care, urgent care and behavioral health care. This supports your health wherever you are, whenever you need care,” said Yaniv Ribon, senior director of Value and Stakeholder Experience at BCN. “We’re excited to offer convenient choices for health care with this innovative new health plan.”
How it works
With BCN’s Virtual Primary Care plan, you will choose a board-certified primary care provider through the Doctor On Demand by Included Health app. This provider will walk you through your first visit and coordinate your care needs, including treatment and referrals.
After you schedule your first virtual primary care visit, you will receive a free Primary Care kit for your household that includes a digital blood pressure cuff and a thermometer. For individuals with chronic conditions including asthma, diabetes and hypertension, additional self-monitoring tools will be provided based on diagnosis.
With this plan, you have quick access to virtual visits with your primary care provider on the Doctor On Demand app. Appointments are available within days for routine visits and within 10 minutes for urgent health issues.
Care coordination
What truly sets this apart from other virtual care platforms is the care coordination made possible with digital tools.
Providers on the Doctor On Demand platform can consult with an in-house specialist and respond to your question in hours. If you have a test performed, providers on the platform will proactively reach out to you to discuss results and next steps.
If you need a referral to a specialist for an in-person appointment, you’ll have the entire BCN network to choose from. And if you need in-person care for behavioral health, routine women’s health appointments or urgent care, you can still get it from an in-network provider.
Most importantly, the Virtual Primary Care plan brings you access to primary care, behavioral health and urgent care with zero or low out-of-pocket costs.
Blue Cross and BCN are working to better coordinate care for you. Learn more about this new health plan here: BCN Virtual Primary Care HMO | BCBSM.
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