We have all made endless sacrifices due to COVID. There are however, certain things that we cannot put off or avoid. One of those things is medical care. From a simple annual physical to a trip to the emergency room, medical care is a necessity. The question today is how do we get care while remaining safe from COVID?
It is often common practice to find the answers to questions you have by searching the Internet. While in the past you may have had a question about your health that you wanted to do some research about on the Internet, today the entire process of searching for help, diagnosing the problem, and receiving treatment can all happen online. You can have a whole visit through video chatting and for most minor things as well as checkups, you won’t have to go into the office.
This of course offers the most safety because there’s no physical contact between you and your healthcare provider. In addition, there is no chance you end up in a small indoor space with several other patients hoping that no one is contagious. If you need tests, imaging, or a physical examination, telehealth may not be the answer, but for refilling prescriptions and other basics telehealth is a great option until the pandemic is over. Medicare has even begun expanding the services they will cover with telehealth.
Putting aside emergencies that often demand in person care, there are still things that must be done in person. Things like regular dental cleanings or receiving a yearly flu shot must still be done through an in person setting. Also, has mentioned any lab tests or imaging appointments must be done in person.
Having healthcare professionals standing right over you, or next to you, without wearing a mask may not have given most people a care in the world before Covid. Now though, it seems like a recipe for disaster. As such, in most medical offices now you will see staff wearing at least two forms of personal protective equipment, few or no patients in a waiting room, plus increased ventilation throughout the facility. Also, beyond pediatricians, most offices are no longer allowing two people into exam rooms, even if the two people are family or spouses.
There is a growing belief that the fee-for-service model that has been so common in our healthcare system is generally quite flawed and that is being highlighted during COVID. During the time of COVID many medical practitioners seem to be moving more towards a value-based primary care system. Patient costs have been reduced as a result.
This system works more on the belief that practitioners should be in the business of being paid prospectively based on the people they treat and their ability to keep those people healthy. It is believed that such a system will give practitioners much more flexibility in the ways that they treat patients such as using things like telemedicine.
It is not as if the cost of healthcare was not a worry for most Americans before COVID, but the crippling economic effects of COVID that have been felt through every segment of society has fueled a desire among those getting medical services to seek a change in the charges rendered for service.
It certainly seems that the days of going to the doctor and just assuming insurance will take care of everything are long gone. With so many Americans in financially unstable situations, people are paying attention to costs now more than ever. Many are left worrying how they’re going to make their co-pay payment. Because of this, many patients want to know upfront what they’re going to be charged for the services they are going to receive before they even get started.
It is hard to imagine that a move away from more technologically-based healthcare is going to occur after the COVID pandemic wanes. The reason being that technology has made health visits more convenient than ever. In fact, there are many in the healthcare field that believe this move to a more virtual healthcare model is absolutely here to stay for the long term.
Charles Davenport is a writer and frequent collaborator with Senior Planning. Senior Planning offers free care-finding services for seniors and the disabled.
