Medical costs for most people are exorbitantly expensive. In fact, most people in the United States cannot realistically afford health insurance for themselves or their families. The consequence of this is that they leave themselves vulnerable in the case of medical emergencies.
The cost the doctor’s visit itself can be too expensive for middle class americans. If one has a family of four, regular checkups can cost thousands of dollars every year. The added costs of prescriptions and treatments can skyrocket this number to ever increasing numbers.
Fortunately, there is now an option for people to get covered by medical professionals online. The website is run by the company HealtheMD, and claims to provide comprehensive medical cover and much cheaper prescriptions that one can get from visiting their doctor’s office.
What Is HealtheMD?
As previously stated, HealtheMD provides an online option for medical cover. The company claims that it is a viable alternative to expensive doctor visits, as well as saving on prohibitive prescription costs.
If one is a customer of HealtheMD, they have the luxury of speaking to a certified doctor 24 hours a day, 365 days a year via phone, video calls or mobile application. The company reportedly prides itself on customer service as one only needs to wait an average of 14 minutes for their call to be connected.
The technology behind HealtheMD is powered by a platform named Teladoc. Teladoc reportedly uses the latest breakthroughs voice conferencing and medical expertise to bring patients and medical professionals together across the globe.
While the cost of an ordinary prescription can be very expensive for most people, the prescriptions offered by HeatheMD are available for only a fraction of the cost. The company states that 92% of their members resolved their medical issues, and unlike call centres that are run by nurses, the HealtheMD staff are able to diagnose and prescribe medications when it is required.
The cover is also reportedly comprehensive, with the company offering cover that includes one’s entire family. One might be skeptical about using online doctors, which is why the company uses only licensed practitioners that have been licensed to practice medicine in their customer’s respective states.
Due to the advancements made in teleconferencing, one can contact a Teledoc practitioner from anywhere in the world in complete confidence. A comparison can be made between this and taking a day off work to sit in a waiting room. The service offered by HealtheMD is superior in that respect at least.
How Much Does HealtheMD Cost?
For $9.99 one can get cover for themselves as well as their dependents. Is there is a couple and two children, the total cost will be $19.99.
What’s included?
- A concierge to help one find free or lower cost drugs
- Full access to the Teledoc service
- Speak to someone within 14 minutes
- No co-pays, deductibles or hidden fees
- Get prescriptions & treatment plans
- Available 24/7/365
- Membership also includes cover for one’s dependents
What Are The Benefits Of HealtheMD?
There appears to be no shortage of benefits to customers that pay to use HealtheMD. Of particular mention is the ease of use and convenience that comes with having a doctor at one’s fingertips.
The other considerable benefit is that the overall costs of prescriptions are much lower than what can be found by visiting a doctor. Customers also report that they are able to enjoy a stress free consultation with their practitioner when using HealtheMD.
Many people have privacy and confidentiality concerns when it comes to visiting their doctors in person. This can lead to one not taking proper care of themselves out of fears of judgement and embarrassment. The anonymous nature of the internet allows customers to get the help they need without experiencing worry or shame.
The site also does not charge for recurring prescriptions, which can be an expensive exercise when visiting a real life doctor, especially for chronic illnesses. Not only are the prescriptions cheaper, but so is the the medicine. Customers reportedly save $30 on average.
What Are People Saying About HealtheMD?
There is no shortage of compliments about the service, with many reviews about it online being positive in nature. Customers reportedly enjoyed the stress-free environment that allowed them to feel relaxed when speaking to their doctor over voice or video chat.
The low cost of prescription and alternatives to brand name medicines were also praised by their customer base. Many people said that a $9.99 membership from HealtheMD saved them hundreds of dollars a year, not to mention the amount of time they were saving from not having to visit a doctor’s office.
It should be noted however, that this is not an international service that is offered to residents living overseas. One of the conditions of joining the program is that one must be living in the United States. This may frustrate some consumers as there is really isn’t a viable alternative to expensive doctor’s fees in many parts of the world – but if HealtheMD’s success is anything to go by, then this may soon change.
There were some negative comments directed at the company. Of particular mention is that doctors can only prescribe certain medicines from their list of approved vendors. This means that if one requires a specific drug that is not supported by HealtheMD’s network of suppliers, then the patient will need to visit their doctor’s office to get it. In these cases, it can make a membership of HealtheMD redundant. It should be noted that there were only a handful of reports of this taking place.
The Bottom Line – Is HealtheMD Recommended?
The high costs of a doctor’s visit and prescription medicine is not looking to decrease any time soon. In fact, as higher demand gets placed on the healthcare system, that figure is only looking to increase. As a consequence of the unhealthy habits that come with modern living, as well as a swelling population, more and more people are needing to visit the doctor in more frequent numbers than ever.
This makes HealtheMD not only good for the individual, but arguably for entire healthcare system itself, which is already overloaded with a shortage of qualified doctors to cope with the demand in some parts of the country.
In conclusion, if one is fed up with paying the high fees and prescription costs of traditional medicine, then a membership from HealtheMD could make for an appealing option.
