BATON ROUGE, La – Whether you head over the river and through the woods or have everyone gather at your home this holiday season, know you have telehealth options that make it easy to get care.
“If you’re feeling sick and don’t want to leave home, or you’re traveling for the holidays and can’t get to your health care provider’s office, telehealth is a convenient way to get treated,” said Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Medical Director Dr. Jeremy Wigginton.
Telehealth visits are a good option to treat non-emergency illnesses like allergies, cold or flu symptoms, pink eye, bladder infections or mild stomach viruses. Health care providers can write or refill prescriptions to treat most conditions through telehealth.
Blue Cross members can use BlueCare, the insurer’s signature telehealth platform, to have online doctor visits 24/7. BlueCare is available in all 50 states and works on a smartphone, laptop, tablet or computer. You also can schedule online mental health appointments with BlueCare and see psychology or psychiatry providers who are trained in telehealth.
Create your BlueCare account at www.BlueCareLA.com or get the BlueCare (one word) mobile app for Apple and Android devices. Learn more about BlueCare in this video (3:11).
In addition to BlueCare, Blue Cross has many network health care providers who can treat patients through telehealth. Ask your provider about options or check the online directory to find an in-network provider near you. Sign up for any telehealth services you might use to get in touch with your provider during the holidays.
Keeping Up With Care
If it’s not convenient to get to your provider’s office, you can ask about using telehealth for your checkups, Dr. Wigginton said. “Don’t put off these visits because they are really effective at helping you and your provider stay on top of your health needs,” he said. “Ask your provider about telehealth options to stay connected during the holidays.”
People with long-term conditions like diabetes or heart disease usually need frequent check-ups with their health care providers. These can be difficult to schedule during the busy holiday season.
“Telehealth is a great option to keep up with your care,” Dr. Wigginton said. “It’s important to stay in touch with your health care provider and talk about how you’re doing. It’s also a chance to bring up any changes you’ve noticed or ask questions.”
In a study Blue Cross Analytics & Data and Health Services researchers conducted, members with diabetes who used telehealth to manage their conditions had more frequent visits with their primary care providers. They also had lower rates of emergency room visits or hospitalizations for diabetes-related issues. The convenience of telehealth appeared to help the members stick to their care plans. The research later was presented at the 2022 ISPOR conference and published in the Value in Health Journal.
You can connect with Blue Cross on social media @BCBSLA to see original graphics, videos and posts sharing holiday season health tips. Blue Cross posts often on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana YouTube channel has short videos on various health topics. Subscribe to know when new videos are added.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying nonprofit health insurer with offices in every major region to serve our customers. We have been recognized for the past four years as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We are a private mutual company, owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at www.bcbsla.com or talk to us on social media @BCBSLA.
We're sorry, something went wrong! Please refresh your browser and try again.