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| from Google image search results for "modern healthcare" from deputy.com |
For those of us fortunate enough to have health insurance, I hope this information encourages you to look at some of its modern benefits that save time and money over what you might be accustomed to doing (like I was).
- In-network urgent care: The urgent care locations inside CVS are in-network for my insurance, while the urgent care places associated with the hospital down the street are not. The CVS MinuteClinic is $25, while the latter pretty much always costs $300, out of pocket, which I have paid many times over the years.
- Telemedicine: You can get a lot of basic things over the phone with a service like Teladoc (also $25) instead of going to an urgent care in person, including having doctors write prescriptions to treat common ailments. Usually when I am sick, I don't want to leave the house, let alone spend 1.5hr waiting in rooms with other sick people, so it's win-win. If your pharmacy has a drive-through, you can avoid getting dressed entirely. Very 2020/2021.
Your mileage may vary depending on your plan and location, but in-network urgent care and telemedicine are two benefits that were not included in my coverage until recently. Log into the website of your health insurance carrier and I'm sure you will find information about your variations of these benefits.