The variety ofservices that can be conducted by phone or video is steadilyincreasing. From basic medical treatment such as sinus infectionsand pink eye to monitoring ongoing treatment for chronicconditions. (Credit: Thinkstock)

The coronavirus pandemic is changing how we interact with eachother and how we interact with our healthcare providers. Instead ofmeeting for happy hour at a local restaurant, we're having Zoomhappy hours. And instead of waiting in crowded doctor's offices foran hour, we're calling our doctors. Surprisingly, we are no longeravoiding phone calls, we're initiating them.

Related: Amid coronavirus outbreak, telemedicine providesvital link to care and prevention

In a recent healthinsurance.com survey, 47% of respondentsindicated that they plan to use telemedicine during the pandemic.They also noted that 28% of insurers have reached out to them toprovide details on their plan's telemedicine benefits. With suchwidespread adoption of telemedicine, consumers who use telemedicineare learning how efficient and easy it is to use. And once they geta taste of it, telemedicine will be here to stay.

If you haven't joined the telemedicine bandwagon, it's time.

States and the feds

During the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government isrelaxing Medicare's privacy rules around telemedicine to ensuremore seniors have access to healthcare while practicing socialdistancing. Many states have mandated or requested insurers covertelemedicine visits the same as they would with an office visit.While these measures are effectively providing access, it isunclear whether the relaxed rules will continue indefinitely orwill be repealed as the pandemic subsides. Either way, consumerswho experience telemedicine will expect direct access to theirdoctors.

Clients access telemedicine

The variety of services that can be conducted by phone or videois steadily increasing. From basic medical treatment such as sinusinfections and pink eye to monitoring ongoing treatment forconditions such as diabetes, the services that can be conducted viatelemedicine is growing. Since doctors can order labs andprescriptions based on telemedicine visits, the need to see adoctor in person is less necessary as we enhance technology andbecome more knowledgeable about what conditions actually requirein-person diagnostics.

It is important for your clients to understand whethertelemedicine is covered by their health insurance plan. You maystart by reviewing carrier insurance policies, but telemedicinerules vary by state, as we Be sure to work with your insurancecompany's account representative to understand what telemedicineservices their products cover and if there are any deductibles,copays, exclusions or limitations.

For telemedicine covered by health insurance plans, manydoctor's offices have already reached out to their patients tooffer office visits over the phone. If a health plan coverstelemedicine, encourage your clients to call their doctors torequest a telemedicine office visit if appropriate.

During the pandemic, my doctor texted me to ask if my family andI were ok, and to see if we had any needs he could help with.Fortunately, my family is healthy, although my doctor inquiredabout my thyroid and after we discussed it, he was able to adjustmy thyroid medicine to keep me healthy and out of the doctor'soffice during the pandemic.

The bottom line: It's been very refreshing to get such quick andeasy access to my doctor.

If an insurance plan does not cover telemedicine, there arestandalone non-insurance telemedicine services that your clientsmay purchase for a monthly cost, which provide access to doctorsand nurses. Review the telemedicine service to learn about thebenefits as well as any costs. Some telemedicine services charge acost for each appointment with the doctor. Be sure to factor inthat cost with the monthly fee to understand the benefits and totalannual cost your client can expect.

Standalone telemedicine plans typically offer a wide range oftreatment available for services such as general medical treatment,mental health, physical therapy and more. Generally, with atelemedicine service, your client will need to log in to thewebsite and enter their medical history to make the firstappointment.

Since these doctors are not your client's regular doctors, thisstep is important so that the doctor has a full understanding ofall conditions and medications. After that, an appointment is madeby logging into the service online and requesting anappointment.

What's next?

Today, many of us wear technology that monitors our pulse,activity levels, sleep and more. Wearable technology is evolving,with the next wave of wearables including features such as bloodpressure readings, EKG's, and tracking blood sugar levels.

Smartphones are further enhanced by apps and wearable sensorsthat track our food intake and weight, daily activity and steps,and some even can take our temperature.

And as smartphone enhancements continue, we may be able toconduct even more services using artificial intelligencetechnology. For example, there are biosensors for athletes thatmonitor electrolyte levels and biosensors for heart patients thatdetect certain cardiovascular diseases. Collecting this informationoutside of the clinical setting and reporting the data to a doctorwill be tremendously valuable in the coming years.

Telemedicine is rapidly gaining popularity during thecoronavirus pandemic, and its easy efficiency is ensuring it ishere to stay. So, the next time the phone rings, pause for a momentbefore sending the call to voicemail: Your doctor may becalling.

JanDubauskas is vice president and senior counsel at Healthinsurance.com.

Read more: 

• Is UnitedHealth looking to get into thetelemedicine game?
• Telemedicine startups on the rise
• 6 tips for changing the telemedicineconversation