The benefits of telehealth services

When choosing health insurance, be sure to consider which telehealth benefits are important to you.

Telehealth has many benefits, including convenience. This secure method of accessing health care lets you have a live video visit with a provider from wherever you are. To have a telehealth visit, all you need is a smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera and microphone.

At UPMC Health Plan, we understand the benefits of telehealth and the demand for digital access to care. Would coverage for telehealth care be something you’d want from your health insurance plan? Let’s learn more about how telehealth could benefit you.

Telehealth benefits to consider

Telehealth services—like the options we offer through UPMC Health Plan—give you access to multiple providers, regardless of whether you’re at home or work. It also can come in handy if you are too busy to go to an in-person appointment. Having this access can save you time and money because you won’t need to travel for care.

What telehealth looks like

Telehealth can be used in different ways:

• Telehealth provider visits allow you to see providers from the comfort of your home. Talk with your doctor to learn which platforms and virtual services they offer.
• Urgent care services like UPMC AnywhereCare are a convenient way to get a medical evaluation from home or your workplace if you’re experiencing nonemergency conditions like flu symptoms or  a sore throat. UPMC AnywhereCare providers [1] are available over live video 24/7, and UPMC Health Plan members can use their mobile device or computer to have a visit. [2]
• Health coaching is another care option that some health plans offer. UPMC Health Plan members can work with a care manager digitally or via telephone to reach their health and wellness goals.
• Counseling sessions are commonly offered through telehealth platforms. Through UPMC AnywhereCare, eligible members have access to virtual counseling sessions for mental and behavioral health care.
• Digital health management tools and apps, such as RxWell^®, can also support members’ well-being. RxWell is designed to help members improve their mental and physical health using self-guided activities and support from a health coach. UPMC Health Plan offers many other digital health and wellness tools to help our members manage their health.

UPMC VirtualCare health insurance plan

UPMC VirtualCare allows members to get convenient, low-cost care virtually or in person. Members have:

• $0 copays for primary, urgent, and behavioral health care virtual visits.
• Reduced copays for virtual specialist visits.
• $0 preventive visits, virtually or in person.
• The choice to see their doctor in person with a cost share.
• Access to UPMC providers.
• Digital onboarding. We make life easy by giving members step-by-step instructions.
• Digital tools to help members manage their plan.
• Paperless communications.
• Access to mail-order maintenance medications.
• All the other benefits of UPMC Health Plan!                               

Other UPMC Health Plan telehealth benefits

UPMC Health Plan offers its members many ways to take care of their health virtually. In addition to UPMC AnywhereCare, RxWell, and virtual provider visits, our members can call a Health Care Concierge to learn which telehealth benefits their plan includes, and they can speak to a nurse for health advice through the UPMC MyHealth 24/7 Nurse Line [3].

Members can log in to MyHealth OnLine to chat with a Health Care Concierge, or they can send a secure message or live chat in the free UPMC Health Plan app.

Shopping for health insurance coverage for 2024? Head to the UPMC Health Plan Marketplace to explore UPMC Health Plan’s individual and family plans, including our UPMC VirtualCare plan. You can also visit us at a UPMC Health Plan Connect Center near you.

[1] Members who are in Pennsylvania at the time of a virtual visit may select a UPMC-employed provider, subject to availability and discretion of the provider. Members located outside of Pennsylvania at the time of service will receive care from a provider employed or contracted by Online Care Network II PC (OCN), also known as Amwell Medical Group. It is at the discretion of OCN providers to choose whether to treat patients ages 0 to 2. OCN is not an affiliate of UPMC. Limitations may apply for members of ASO plans that have opted out of coverage. UPMC AnywhereCare virtual visits are not covered services when UPMC for You members, UPMC for Kids members, and UPMC Community HealthChoices participants are traveling outside of Pennsylvania. Providers are not available to treat patients in Puerto Rico.

[2] UPMC Health Plan provides free aids and services to help people communicate effectively with us. These may include language services for people whose primary language is not English and qualified sign language interpreters. Your provider will connect you to these services during the visit.

[3] UPMC nurses who answer calls are licensed to assist members in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, New York, and Ohio. Members must be located in one of those states when calling the UPMC MyHealth 24/7 Nurse Line. The UPMC MyHealth 24/7 Nurse Line is not a substitute for medical care. If an emergency arises, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Nurses cannot answer plan or benefit questions. Please call the Member Services phone number on your member ID card for nonclinical inquiries.