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

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.