CVS Expands D2C Telehealth Service
CVS Health has announced that MinuteClinic, the company’s retail medical clinic, has rolled out its virtual visit offering in eight additional states. People with minor illnesses and injuries, skin conditions and other wellness needs can now seek care through MinuteClinic Video Visits, a telehealth offering, in the states of Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. MinuteClinic Video Visits provide patients with access to care 24 hours a day, seven days a week from their mobile device or computer.
“We’re excited to continue to expand the availability of MinuteClinic Video Visits across eight additional states as we continue to build our national practice for this service,” said Sharon Vitti, President, MinuteClinic. “The expansion of this MinuteClinic service enables us to provide even more people with access to an innovative, on-demand health care option and demonstrates our commitment to delivering high-quality care when and where our patients need it, at prices they can afford.”
A CVS Health study found that 95 percent of patients who opted to receive a telehealth visit during the pilot phase of the program, were highly satisfied with the quality of care they received. In the same study, 95 percent of patients were also satisfied with the convenience of using the telehealth service and the overall telehealth experience. Since MinuteClinic Video Visits launched in August 2018, thousands of Video Visits have been conducted in 18 states and Washington, DC, with more than half taking place outside of traditional clinic hours.
Working collaboratively with Teladoc (NYSE: TDOC), the global leader in virtual care, and leveraging Teladoc’s technology platform, patients can receive care via a MinuteClinic Video Visit, initiated through their computer or mobile device, including through the CVS Pharmacy app. Patients who opt to seek care through a fully customized MinuteClinic Video Visit experience the same high-quality, evidence-based care they receive at traditional MinuteClinic locations inside select CVS Pharmacy and Target stores.
Video visits can be used to provide care for patients ages two years and older who are seeking treatment for a minor illness, minor injury, or a skin condition. Each patient will complete a health questionnaire and be matched to a board-certified health care provider licensed in their state, who will review the completed questionnaire with the patient’s medical history, and proceed with the video-enabled visit.
During a MinuteClinic Video Visit, the provider will assess the patient’s condition and determine the appropriate course of treatment following evidence-based clinical care guidelines. For patients who require a prescription as part of their treatment plan, the provider will submit the prescription to the patient’s preferred pharmacy. If it is determined the patient should be seen in person for follow-up care or testing, the provider will recommend that the patient visit a health care provider in their community, such as their primary care provider or a nearby MinuteClinic location.
A MinuteClinic Video Visit costs $59, which is currently payable by credit, debit, FSA and HSA cards. Insurance coverage will be added to the experience in the coming months. The service, first introduced in August 2018, is now available in a total of 26 states – Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming – and Washington D.C.
