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AmWell announces telehealth partnerships with Capital BlueCross, AllianceHealth Oklahoma

August 21, 2015
Business Affairs Health IT Population Health
By Stephen Hanks, Contributing Reporter


By the end of the 20th century, it seemed as if the dependable family doctor — who was readily available for house calls — was becoming an endangered species in the U.S.
But suddenly, thanks to 21st century technology, house calls are making a comeback and our society may be entering a new age of physician face time.

According to the American Telemedicine Association, during 2016, almost two million people with urgent care, non-life-threatening medical issues will likely be consulting with a doctor via a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Many health insurance companies, state health departments, hospitals, and businesses have shown a commitment to realizing the potential of telehealth.

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Apps such as Vytaliz, Doctor on Demand, Teledoc, and AmWell are all emerging to meet this growing demand.

According to the company, Amwell connects patients with a doctor in less than two minutes. Patients can also request an appointment with a specific telehealth doctor. The service provides live video consults with board certified physicians 24 hours a day, who can offer advice, prescribe medications, and suggest follow-up care.

“This is health care for the masses,” Danielle Russella, president of Customer Solutions for American Well, who has been with the company since its inception nine years ago, told HCB News. “As telehealth becomes more mainstream, more doctors will be readily available to people with a gamut of urgent care issues.

Russella says that where in the past American Well was partnering with one or two new clients per month (such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield in various states), they are now getting one to four per week bringing Amwell’s telehealth service into the fold.

In just the past month, Capital BlueCross, the leading health insurance company in Central Pennsylvania, and AllianceHealth Oklahoma have partnered with American Well for their mobile and web technology. AllianceHealth Oklahoma will call its service “VirtualHealthNow,” and it can be accessed from a free app downloaded from Google Play or the App Store or on the web. Russella adds that “visits” (such as those through VirtualHealthNow) range from $39-$50 per visit if they aren’t covered by a consumer’s health plan.

"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 doctors by video is one more way we are changing health care for the better. 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."

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