What Is Telemedicine?

Have you been in a situation where you are miles from home, perhaps on vacation, and a family member gets ill in the middle of the night? You don't have a family doctor nearby and you don't know if you should go to the local emergency room or not. Wouldn't it be nice if you could pick up the phone for some advice?

Telemedicine is a virtual platform that allows you access to healthcare professionals from any location. Whether at home, work, vacation or elsewhere, help is available 24-hours a day.

In many cases, it's unnecessary to wait in an emergency room or urgent care for diagnosis of minor ailments. With telemedicine you can consult a medical professional online or over the phone and receive personalized treatment. And if needed, the provider can call in a prescription* that can be picked up at your local pharmacy.

There are products out there that provide telemedicine services for about $10/month for individuals and $15/month for a family. My experience with these products has been in worksite settings, where an employer will offer it as a "benefit" and have the premiums deducted each pay period. Typically, after having a year or two the employees would cancel it because it, with most saying that the plan wasn't what they thought it was. I think they thought it was a substitute for a family physician or  even health insurance.

The interesting part of this is that most health insurance plans offer some sort of telemedicine as part of their coverage. Other outlets also have a telemedicine option available, like some pharmacies. With that in mind, most people who have health insurance may not need a stand alone plan. 

Recently, I had an interesting experience that I would like to share. I had gone to my physician for a routine visit, but it just so happened I was sick with cold and sinus infection. My doctor prescribed several drugs that I had never taken before to help with the cough and an ear infection that I didn't even know was there.

A day or two after taking these meds I developed a nose bleed. It was quite a mess and a surprise. I wasn't sure what was causing the nose bleed and thought that it may have something to do with the medications. I called my doctor's office and was told that the doctor would call me back later that afternoon. The lady on the phone was very formal and said something like, "I have you down for 5pm for a telemedicine appointment." To be honest, I thought nothing of it.

At 5pm my phone rang and I spoke to the doctor who assured me the medications were not the cause of the nose bleed and that I more than likely had burst a blood vessel by blowing my nose and coughing so much. The call lasted all of about five minutes.

A couple of weeks went by and I got a bill in the mail for $74. Confused, I called to ask why I had a bill when my doctor office copay was $20 which I had paid that after my appointment. "No, that bill is for the telemedicine call," I was told. Apparently, that call was billed differently and my insurance only covered about $30 of the $104.

I learned a valuable lesson. Make sure that you know what you are being charged when you pick up that phone to talk to your doctor. 

*Providers can not prescribe narcotics and some other medicines that are restricted by law.

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, helping people find affordable life, disability, long term care, cancer, accident and other insurance coverages in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia. He's also is a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient and has spoken to professional and civic organizations throughout the Southeast. And please subscribe to this blog!

What Keeps You Up At Night?

One of the hard parts of being an insurance agent is getting people to have an honest conversation when it comes to their finances and how their situation affects future decisions. Some clients either don't want to discuss their goals or simply have not taken the time to figure out what their goals are. 

There have been many times when I have sat down with someone and asked, "Where do you want to be three years from now?" The look on the client's face is priceless. They really don't know. I'm not trying to embarrass them or make them feel bad, but the point of the conversation is that many people are just meandering through their financial issues, paying bills as they come in and buying stuff when they have money put aside.

Just as you would think, most people don't have a clue what their goals are. They say that they haven't really considered it before. Here's an exercise you can do (it's the same one I use with my clients) and it will help you make a game plan.

Take a sheet of paper and put today's date at the top. Next to that, put the same date but three years from now. Underneath the dates make three columns, with headings "Personal, Professional, Financial". Under each heading just write what you want to happen within the next three years. 

There are no wrong answers. I've had people give me all kinds of answers from saving $100,000 (financial) to owning a new boat (personal). One lady who was a cosmetologist put "open a cosmetology school" under the professional heading. Knowing what the goal is helps tremendously but that is just the first part of the conversation. 

Then I ask what would happen to that goal if the client were to die unexpectedly or to become chronically ill. Will they still be able to reach those goals if a potential landmine were to get in the way?

Every once in a while one question will get the client to open up and that question is "What keeps you up at night?" As a husband and father, there have been many times when I have lain in bed thinking about retirement, sick family members, paying for my child's education and a long list of other issues that can, and probably will, show up down the road. It can be overwhelming.

Another part of this is that people will hear advice, through friends or the media, which may sound good, but may not be applicable to their situation. One of my pet peeves is "financial gurus" giving generic advice. A single dad who makes under $50,000 a year and has a sick parent will have an entirely different situation than a married couple who have a six-figure income and no debt. Much like fingerprints, no two financial positions will be the same.

When I sit down with someone and they say they want a 20-year term life insurance policy for $100,000, I ask questions like:

• How did you decide that was the amount of insurance you needed?
• Will that cover any debt you have, including your mortgage?
• Will that amount replace your income?
• What do you want to accomplish with that amount of coverage?

Sure, this line of questioning can make someone feel uncomfortable, but my job is to make sure that the client gets what they need. Taking the time to get an accurate number for the face value of a life insurance policy will make sure that the client is getting what they actually need.

Don't let this stuff stress you out. Sit down with your agent or make a phone appointment to discuss how you can do what is best for you and your family. And in the meantime, please stay healthy!

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, helping people find affordable life, disability, long term care, cancer, accident and other insurance coverages in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia. He's also is a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient and has spoken to professional and civic organizations throughout the Southeast. And please subscribe to this blog!