Capital BlueCross to connect customers with doctor visits by live video

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine waking up in the middle of the night with a fever and a sore throat. It doesn't require a visit to the emergency room, but you don't want to wait until your doctor's office opens in the morning for an appointment. With telehealth, a benefit included with most Capital BlueCross plans starting next year, you won't have to wait -- you'll be able to visit with a doctor by live, high-quality video right away, right from your home, with the click of a button.

Telehealth will be available to customers enrolled in most Capital BlueCross health plans beginning Jan. 1, 2016. Using a computer, tablet or smartphone, the option will be especially convenient for customers when their doctor's office is closed, when they are too sick or busy to attend an appointment in person, or when they are traveling out of town. Customers will be able to log on for telehealth appointments any time of day, every day of the year.

"Consumers value convenience more than ever before, and health care is no exception," said Brooke Nordai, Capital BlueCross director of Product Innovation. "Connecting our customers with doctor visits by video is one more way we are changing health care for the better. Seeing a doctor will be as easy as signing on from a laptop or opening an app on your phone. More than just providing benefits, more than just paying claims, we are helping customers receive the care they need, when they need it, from wherever is most convenient for them."

During telehealth appointments, doctors can diagnose common conditions and even prescribe medication available for pick-up at a customer's pharmacy of choice.

To offer doctor visits by video, Capital BlueCross has partnered with American Well to deliver Amwell, the nation's largest telehealth service, to members. Amwell's model contrasts with its competitors in that patients are connected face-to-face with a doctor in less than two minutes, instead of having to wait for a doctor to call them back after they request a consultation. Patients also can request an appointment with a specific telehealth doctor.

With a national network of telehealth doctors who are board certified, licensed and credentialed, Amwell was the first service to receive accreditation by the American Telemedicine Association.

About Capital BlueCross
Capital BlueCross, headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., is the leading health solutions and insurance company in central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley. For more than 75 years, Capital BlueCross has offered products that provide peace of mind and promote good health. Today, the company and its family of diversified businesses offer a comprehensive portfolio of solutions including innovative value-based models, private exchanges, leading-edge analytics and digital health technologies, ancillary benefits, and training programs. Additionally, Capital BlueCross is growing a network of Capital Blue retail stores that provide in-person service and inspiration to live healthy. Capital BlueCross is an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. For more information, visit capbluecross.com.

About American Well
American Well is a telehealth services company that brings health care into the homes and workplaces of patients. The company's mobile, web, and kiosk telehealth platform connects patients and clinicians for live, clinically meaningful visits via video. American Well and Amwell are trademarks of American Well Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks used are the property of their respective owners. For more information, visit www.americanwell.com.

SOURCE Capital BlueCross

Related Links

https://www.capbluecross.com

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