Aetna Members In Alaska Now Have Access To Non-Urgent Care Consultations By Phone

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, May 08, 2012 — Do you have a sore throat and stuffy nose or maybe a sinus infection? Having trouble getting an appointment to see your primary care doctor right away?  Now, Aetna (NYSE: AET) members in most fully-insured medical plans in Alaska will have the option of using a new service from Teladoc to access non-urgent care over the phone.

“When a member is sick and unable to see their primary doctor quickly, a telephone consultation from Teladoc’s local physicians may be a good alternative for those with minor illnesses,” said Gina Conflitti, regional medical director for Aetna. “Teladoc services are not intended to replace a patient’s doctor, but rather provide access to quality care 24 hours a day, seven days a week without having to spend a lot of time and money going to an emergency room.”

Some of the conditions Teladoc doctors can address include:

• sinus problems;
• bronchitis;
• allergies;
• sore throat and stuffy nose;
• urinary tract infection; and
• respiratory infections.

Aetna members can contact a participating Teladoc doctor by calling 1-855-Teladoc (835-2362) or visiting www.Teladoc.com/Aetna. A Teladoc doctor will call the member usually within an hour. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“One of the most important aspects of what Teladoc does is to provide patients with a cost-effective health care option that fits within their busy schedule or who live in rural areas and have limited access to physicians,” said Jason Gorevic, chief executive officer of Teladoc. “With our focus on quality, affordability and flexibility, Teladoc is an ideal benefit for busy individuals and families. We are excited to have the opportunity to be of service to Aetna’s membership.”

The cost of a Teladoc consultation is $38 or lower, depending on the Aetna member’s specific plan. Copays, deductibles and coinsurance apply. Teladoc consultations are a qualified expense for Health Savings Accounts (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRA). 

A summary of each consultation is captured in an electronic health record (EHR) and the member can share the health record with his or her primary care physician. Teladoc doctors can also refer to it during future member visits to help diagnose, recommend treatment and prescribe medications, when appropriate.

Members in Aetna’s Medicare Advantage or Medicaid benefit plans are not currently eligible for this benefit.

About Teladoc
Founded in 2002, Teladoc is the nation’s first and largest provider of telehealth services. With more than 3 million members nationwide and an average response time of 22 minutes, Teladoc enhances access to affordable, high-quality medical care for adults and children via videoconferencing or telephone consultations 24/7. The company’s U.S.-based, board-certified physicians meet National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) standards and deliver a 97 percent patient satisfaction rate. Teladoc partners with payers, corporations, organizations and patients that seek accessible and affordable high-quality medical care. For more information, please visit www.Teladoc.com.

About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.1 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities, Medicaid health care management services and health information technology services. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.