American Well, an online service that puts patients face-to-face with doctors, will begin in Hawaii on January 15.
Its first customer will be the Hawaii Medical Service Association, which will make the Internet version of the house call available to everyone in the state. The service is for people who seek easier access to physicians, whether it is because they are uninsured, or because they do not want to wait for an appointment or spend time driving to a clinic.
American Well has attracted the interest of U.S. lawmakers, who want to expand access to health care. Insurers in other states will soon also offer the service.
Patients use the service by logging on to participating health plans’ Web sites. Doctors hold 10-minute appointments, which can be extended for a fee, and can file prescriptions and view patients’ medical histories. The Hawaiian health plan’s 700,000 members pay $10 to use the service, and the insurer also offers the service to uninsured patients for $45.
Some critics of webcam doctors worry that important symptoms will be missed if the doctors do not see patients in person. Others doubt that the poor and uninsured will have the broadband connection and webcams to use the service.