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This week, <a href="https://www.docwirenews.com/future-of-medicine/doctor-on-demand-launches-synapse-integrated-virtual-primary-care-platform/">Doctor on Demand</a> and its health insurance partner Humana have announced the launch a new virtual care model known as On Hand. This new plan will allow members to access a primary care doctor virtually with no copay, further enhancing the convenience of <a href="https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/future-of-medicine-picks/telehealth-companies-offering-free-services-to-hurricane-florence-victims/">telemedicine</a>. The On Hand users will also have both urgent care providers and behavioral health clinicians available through this system.
Doctor on Demand is a San Francisco-based telemedicine company that started out as an urgent-care platform, and has now expanded into primary, preventative and chronic care. The platform is centered on its <a href="https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/future-of-medicine-picks/patients-telling-digital-healthcare-apps-of-suicidal-thoughts/">digital app</a>, providing all-day video visits, phone calls and text messaging. Humana’s Texas and Florida markets will be the first to experience this new On Hand care model.
“It marks the next frontier in telemedicine,” said Hill Ferguson, CEO of Doctor On Demand. “We are incredibly excited to be the first company to launch virtual primary care.”
Doctor on Demand provides services through health plans, reaching consumers directly through employers. Some of their corporate clients include Walmart, NBC, and American Airlines. The company is at the forefront of the rapidly expanding telehealth market, forecasted to reach $9.49 billion by 2024 in North America.
On Hand is Doctor on Demand’s first primary care plan, and will cost between $150 and $200 per month. The service will be released on June 1 to those in Humana’s Texas and Florida markets. One of the biggest advantages to the platform is that there is no copay tethered to doctor visits, and routine labs and prescriptions only have a copay of $5.
In addition to access of primary care providers, the patients will also receive equipment to measure important vitals at home. On Hand users will also have access to visits from several certified psychologists, psychiatrists, and nurse practitioners.
Ferguson noted that this digital health care model is roughly half the coast of most primary care options, including those provided by Humana. On Hand is the product of a partnership stemming back to 2015 between Humana and Doctor on Demand. Humana used Doctor on Demand’s data in a study last summer that found follow-up rates to be <a href="https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/future-of-medicine-picks/patients-and-doctors-find-virtual-video-visits-may-improve-convenience-at-same-care-quality/">similar between telemedicine and in-office visits</a>. Virtual care use was also found to be correlated to lower prescription rates and overall incurred cost as well.
“By partnering with Doctor on Demand, Humana is leading the market with a modern approach to meeting the health plan needs of employers and employees,” said Chris Hunter, Humana’s Group &amp; Military segment president. “Through virtual care delivery, On Hand gives employers the opportunity to affordably offer healthcare benefits to employees without sacrificing comprehensive, quality care.”
Doctor on Demand was created in 2012 by Jay McGraw and his father Dr. Phil McGraw, host of TV’s “Dr. Phil”. Currently, the company is comprised of about 170 employees working in its three offices, growing from the 130 employees just one year ago. Doctor on Demand doubled its revenue in 2018 and has raised over $160 million to date according to Ferguson.
The company is excited to see how their telehealth services translate to this primary care model, and hopes to expand On Hand to more areas in the future.
“Our primary goal is to get as many people enrolled in the plan to learn how people react,” Ferguson said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Humana and telehealth company Doctor on Demand are launching a new health plan design centered on delivering virtual primary care. <a href="https://twitter.com/Humana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Humana</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/drondemand?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrOnDemand</a> <a href="https://t.co/tMo0dOZsjA">https://t.co/tMo0dOZsjA</a> <a href="https://t.co/Lyj1565px6">pic.twitter.com/Lyj1565px6</a>
— Modern Healthcare (@modrnhealthcr) <a href="https://twitter.com/modrnhealthcr/status/1121444910652116992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><a href="https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/future-of-medicine-picks/subtle-medical-receives-fda-clearance-for-ai-imaging-technology/">READ MORE: Subtle Medical Receives FDA Clearance for AI Imaging Technology</a>
Sources: <a href="https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/doctor-demand-humana-team-new-virtual-care-model">MobiHealthNews</a>, <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2019/04/24/doctor-on-demand-humana-telemedicine-primary-care.html">BizJournals</a>

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This week, Doctor on Demand and its health insurance partner Humana have announced the launch a new virtual care model known as On Hand. This new plan will allow members to ...

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