A health insurance provider doing business in 14 states hasadded a “live online” clinician consultation service as a coveredbenefit for plan members.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said it will include LivehealthOnline as a covered benefit in some of its plans. The serviceconnects clinicians remotely to patients anywhere via Skype or similar technology. Its mainapplications are to answer patient inquiries that might otherwiselead to a trip to an urgent care center or a hospital emergencyroom, according to an article in the Portland, Maine, PressHerald.

“For Anthem patients, using LiveHealth Online is treated thesame as a visit to the doctor, with typical co-pays of $5 or $10.Patients who don't have Anthem but want to use LiveHealth can pay$49 for a 10- to 15-minute consultation,” the Press Heraldreported.

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Anthem told the Press Herald that its studies indicate thatLiveHealth visits save about $71 per call “primarily becausepatients can avoid visiting more costly urgent care centers andwill be less likely to go to hospital emergency rooms fornon-emergency conditions.”

In a statement in July, Anthem discussed the availability ofLiveHealth to plan members and discussed its value to patients.

“Members can now use their smart phone, tablet or computer tohave a live video visit with a board certified doctor of theirchoice to discuss non-emergency health issues from home, work orwherever they happen to be as long as they have a Wi-Fi signal orInternet access,” Anthem said.

“This new online care service, LiveHealth Online, launched in2013 first to large-local and national employers. It has now beenexpanded to the majority of Anthem’s health plan customers,including health exchange members. Doctors are available 24 hours,365 days a year, including holidays,” the release said.

LiveHealth clinicians don't have access to patient medicalrecords; they can agree to have a report sent to their primary careteam following a LiveHealth visit.

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Dr. Jeffrey Holmstrom, Anthem's medical director and a primarycare physician, told the Press Herald LiveHealth will not usurpprimary care.

“This will not replace the primary care physician,” Holmstromsaid. "This is an opportunity for enhanced access to doctors."