
Ask HN: What is your opinion about employers providing free Virtual Healthcare? - FreethinkerX
A simple video chat could help employees and their families members to take care of their illnesses &amp; medical conditions.<p>Yes, there is an cost to employers, it is not exactly free tough. But, bill is payed by employers who can get it done at very affordable rates, just by sheer economic of scale, which is lot less than what they pay for insurance.<p>What do you reckon?
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topkai22
I’ve used telemedicine (the proper name) for vision prescription renewal and
to check with a nurse or doctor about some of my children’s various ailments.

The biggest problem is that there seems to be a pretty limited range of
conditions that can be taken care of over the phone- been sick enough you
might need antibiotics? You need to come in for a test. Injure yourself
physically? Well someone needs to be there to patch you up.

The two exceptions have been when someone caught it pinkeye- it’s so obvious
my pediatrician called it in based on a phone conversation alone, and the
aforementioned vision prescription.

For me, my insurance company provides a free nurse line and a paid doctor line
(still cheapish at $40). My GP and pediatrician are also very proactive over
the phone, and they do it for free (that’s craziness right there).

I think the reason insurance companies and doctors aren’t pushing telemedicine
more is that the vast majority of ailments are (successfully) treated with
“take two aspirins and see how you feel tomorrow” or require on site tests.

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FreethinkerX
I do agree, that all situation cannot be covered. But there is this vast
majority of illness & conditions which can be done virtually. Expect for
emergency or physical injury like you have mentioned.

See how Amazon care is doing it virtually, they are even doing Labs reports by
visiting employee Homes. If need be provide a nurse as well. This is moreso on
the lines of preventive medicine, which prevent you from getting hospitalized
and thus saving insurance costs too.

All of this is at company cost. Why Can't other employers replicate this with
or without insurance line.?

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FreethinkerX
I wonder why? this has not been implemented across, why is that only Amazon
and Apple are the companies doing it?

