It’s common knowledge that periods of transition can be the most stressful and difficult times in a person’s life. Any major change in direction or focus can leave you vulnerable to unexpected circumstances. Veterans understand this more than anybody, having made the transition from military service to civilian life. One major problem associated with changing your career path or even being unemployed, is the possibility of being without health coverage. Additionally, having limited income sources to cover medical bills only adds to the problem. It’s clear that any major life change requires planning and preparation.
Luckily, there are ways to mitigate your medical and financial risks as you look for a new job, are uninsured or underinsured, or don’t qualify for VA healthcare benefits that are both accessible and affordable to you and your family. One such resource that is becoming increasingly popular is telehealth and remote healthcare subscription services. While these services are not a replacement for health insurance, they offer convenient and inexpensive access to healthcare whenever and wherever you need it.
Don’t Qualify for VA Healthcare Benefits? Don’t Worry, You’re Not Alone.
Did you know that about 40% of U.S. Veterans do not qualify for VA healthcare?1 Or that about 30% of Veterans with service-connected disabilities do not qualify for healthcare benefits through Tricare?2 This leaves many veterans reliant on their employers or spending more on high deductible health plans for coverage—or forgoing health insurance entirely.
Is It Possible to Survive Without Health Insurance?
In short, yes; at least until you get really sick or injured requiring in-person care or hospitalization. Though going without traditional healthcare coverage is definitely not a good idea, there are many resources to help mitigate the risks while being uninsured. There are, of course, medical emergencies and major medical events with high costs that can only be lowered by having traditional health insurance coverage. For this reason, we strongly suggest you find at least catastrophic or high co-pay and high deductible coverage if your situation allows. If that is your scenario, low-cost telehealth services may be a sensible option, most notably because maintaining regular doctor appointments and preventative care will improve your overall health and thus reduce the likelihood of more expensive medical problems in the long run.
Telehealth and remote healthcare programs can offer those without health insurance or those with high deductible and high co-pay catastrophic coverage an inexpensive way to manage their healthcare and mitigate many routine or unexpected medical costs. By making healthcare more convenient and accessible, as well as providing a way for doctors and patients to streamline appointments that don’t necessarily need to be in person, remote healthcare/telehealth helps bring medical costs down for everyone.
How Remote Healthcare Keeps You Covered When and Where You Need It Most
In recent years, both employers and employees have come to realize that if there’s work that can be done from home, then it should be. It saves everyone time and money, along with many other benefits. Similarly, telehealth and remote healthcare works to bring down overall healthcare costs by tailoring the right level of care to each individual situation.
Imagine you or a family member are having a minor medical issue. Often it becomes a choice between waiting several days or weeks for a doctor’s appointment or going to the nearest urgent care center or emergency room. Urgent care centers are generally a quicker option than even emergency room visits but will still require a considerable wait time and often a long drive to get there. All three choices are likely to be expensive, with or without insurance.
Of course, for genuine emergencies, going to the emergency room should be your first and only option. Remember, every Emergency Department in every hospital in America must see you, irrespective of your ability to pay. However, there are situations where ER visits are not necessary and do not result in any treatment that couldn’t have been performed by a scheduled appointment. According to a study conducted by the National Institute of Health, a little over 10% of emergency room visits are classified as non-urgent.3 Another systemic review published in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine found a median of 32% were categorized as non-urgent.4 Ultimately, the decision to go to the emergency room will depend upon your best judgement. The point is to determine the right level of care with the right level of urgency based on the specific medical issue.
Remember, your goal is to be seen, get treatment, and get your prescriptions with minimal stress.
When confronted with the choice between the ER, an urgent care center, or scheduling a doctor’s appointment weeks or months out, there’s only one decision that is always wrong: avoiding being seen entirely. After weighing their options, many people will opt to simply ignore the issue until it either gets better or becomes too difficult or severe to avoid treatment. This is not an ideal solution, for obvious reasons.
If you are not having a medical emergency, then why burn your time and gas along with the high cost of a medical bill or copay, when you could get the same services from your smart phone, all without leaving your home? With remote urgent care, a qualified medical provider can see you on your time. No time wasted; no money spent—and no reason not to seek medical care.
What to Look for When Selecting a Remote Healthcare Solution
If you decide to go with a remote healthcare service, you need to make sure they offer more than just urgent care, though. You should be able to manage your health in nearly the same way you would with a traditional primary care physician—just over the phone or through video chat. You should also determine if they offer prescriptions, check-ups, diagnostics, and preventative care. It’s also worth your time to check for any additional features included in a plan you’re researching—many services include surprising discounts and promotions that you may not have previously considered.
Of course, certain procedures cannot be performed remotely. This shouldn’t be an issue though, as long as you’ve planned properly and done your research. Many remote healthcare programs will offer discounts for these services, so it’s worth it to check what each program includes when comparing the different plans and service providers. However, focusing on the things that can’t be done remotely is losing sight of your objective. Keep in mind, the point is to take care of the appointments that can be done remotely. For most of us, this includes the majority of our standard appointments. As long as a remote healthcare program allows you get these appointments taken care of as part of your plan—ideally at no additional cost and without sitting in a waiting room for endless hours—then you stand to manage your health while saving time and money—even without insurance or as a supplement to it. Remember, your goal is to be seen, get treatment, and get your prescriptions with minimal stress.
So, Here Is What We’ve Done to Help Solve This Problem:
Thanks to advances in communication and information technologies, subscription-based remote healthcare has rapidly become a viable option for anyone who finds themselves uninsured that not many people are aware of. Finding these kinds of resources and making them available to Veterans and their families is core to TeamVetCV’s mission. Therefore, we’ve partnered with Health Karma to create VetCV Remote Healthcare Services as a way to provide greater access to care to VetCV members at the best possible price we could do it for.
During TeamVetCV’s collaboration with Health Karma, we’ve taken into consideration the specific needs of Veterans and their families along with the advantages of remote healthcare to create what we think will be a life-changing resource for the many families who need it most. So, as you research and compare different healthcare solutions, consider what we’re offering and keep VetCV Remote Healthcare Services in mind.
Subscribers to VetCV Remote Healthcare Services have 24/7 access to healthcare for themselves, their family members, and even their pets—Yes, even your pets!—so they can focus on completing the next step in their lives with peace of mind. Thanks to the efficient and low-cost nature of remote care, VetCV Remote Healthcare Services plans are available for $29.50/month for individuals and $49.50/month for families (up to 7 household members). Each plan has access to all features and services, including:
- Immediate Access → With VetCV Remote Healthcare Services, the average time to privately speak with an Urgent Care Provider is as little as 21 minutes. Speak with your personal Primary Care Provider in less than 24 hours, NOT weeks or months.
- Healthcare Wherever You Are → It doesn’t matter if you’re in the city center or the middle of nowhere, manage your health at home using your smartphone, computer, or tablet. Get your appointments taken care of over the phone or through video chat.
- $0 Copay & No Surprise Expenses → All appointments are included with your membership.
- Affordability → VetCV Remote Healthcare Services’ unique membership model is an affordable way to ensure that you and your family have access to care.
- Primary, Urgent, and In-The-Moment Mental Healthcare → 24/7/365 access to
treatment whenever you or your family need it. - No Cost Care for Pets and Service Animals → 24/7/365 access to remote veterinary care at $0—all appointments are included with your membership.
- Free & Discounted Medications → Get the 37 most common medications at $0. For the rest, you can get discount of 60% on average and in some cases, 80% or more.
- Special Discounts → Get up to 50% off on dental, hearing, and even vision and eyewear.
Click Below to Learn How You Can Receive Special Pricing on a Subscription to VetCV Remote Healthcare Services.
1Farmer, Carrie M, et al. “Balancing Demand and Supply for Veterans’ Health Care: A Summary of Three RAND Assessments Conducted under the Veterans Choice Act.” RAND Health Quarterly, vol. 6, no. 1, 2016, https://doi.org/10.7249/rr1165.4.
2Erickson, W., Lee, C., von Schrader, S. (2022). Disability Statistics from the American Community Survey (ACS). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Yang-Tan Institute (YTI). Retrieved from Cornell University Disability Statistics website: www.disabilitystatistics.org
4Durand AC, Gentile S, Devictor B, et al. “ED patients: how nonurgent are they? systematic review of the emergency medicine literature.” Am J Emerg Med. 2011;29:333–345.
We at VetCV thank you for trusting us to continue to do our part in supporting our Nation’s active military, Veterans, and their families.
If your organization is hiring – Post your Jobs on VetCV. Email or call us at teamvetcv@vetcv.com, 850.441.2008 – We’ll help get the word out!
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