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The Doctor Will See You Now —Online
Karen Kennedy, M.D., Advocates for Permanent Virtual House Calls
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by Jean Pate
elemedicine has April, first Medicare and long held promthen almost every other ise as a way for insurance began allowproviders to offer timeing coverage for telelier, less expensive care medicine appointments, to patients with nonbecause the country was emergency conditions. encouraged to practice But until very recently, social distancing.” its use by providers has Before the pandemic been limited—primarcreated this sweeping ily because many health shift, insurance cominsurance plans wouldn’t panies that did cover cover it. But coronavitelemedicine employed rus has changed that their own doctors to Karen Kennedy, M.D. dynamic quickly and provide medical advice dramatically, says Karen and treatment through Kennedy, M.D., a board-certified gynecolo- telemedicine or phone calls, but they rarely gist with offices in Gulf Breeze and Navarre. covered the cost for patients to virtually “Because of the coronavirus, tele“visit” their own doctors this way. medicine has become an overnight success But when it became clearer that the in getting patients a visit with their doctors pandemic was a rapidly growing health criwhile allowing them to avoid close contact sis in the United States, state governments with others,” Kennedy says. “Before March, and then the federal government began it was difficult to find an insurance plan urging citizens to stay home, and it became that covered telemedicine visits, which harder for doctors to meet their patients’ forced almost everyone to spend time medical needs. In response, many insurgoing to the doctor’s office and waiting ance companies abruptly allowed them to their turn for an appointment. But as of offer telemedicine visits, Kennedy says.
Natural Awakenings of Northwest Florida
www.NaturalAwakeningsNWF.com
