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Choosing Ease & Convenience with Telehealth Services for Veterans

Elizabeth Crain

By Elizabeth Crain

9/14/2021

Veteran Resources

Table of Contents

  1. Working with the VA: A Long & Complicated Process
    1. How to Help a Family Member with Mental Illness
  2. The Solution: Getting Assistance via Telehealth Services
  3. 1. Prompt Quality Care
  4. 2. Better Access
  5. 3. Veteran-Specific Services
  6. 4. Cost Savings
  7. What We Offer

If you are a veteran seeking health benefits, obtaining a diagnosis through telehealth services can be the first step on your path to living a happier and healthier life. At Telemedica, we understand the challenges involved in getting the care, treatment, and benefits that Veterans need. Our mission is to help reduce those barriers for Veterans.

The first item on our agenda? Educating you on the advantages that telehealth services for Veterans can offer. Let’s dive into how a telehealth visit can help you receive medical evidence needed to file for your VA benefits.

Working with the VA: A Long & Complicated Process

How to Help a Family Member with Mental Illness

Mental Health

To obtain VA benefits for a mental or physical health condition, you must have medical evidence. While going directly to a VA facility might seem like the reasonable thing to do, working with the VA may turn into a long and challenging process.

Telehealth Services for Veterans

Because the VA is a government entity, it adheres to stringent regulations—regulations that do not necessarily make the process of seeing a provider quick and easy. There are several hoops Veterans typically have to jump through to accomplish things like obtaining a diagnosis, obtaining medical evidence, or obtaining their benefits. 

The most common roadblock? Long wait times. Receiving a diagnosis usually requires going to a VA clinic or hospital where the wait times tend to be much longer than civilian providers. According to one source, “the average wait time for a mental health appointment at the VA was 50 days.” 

Moreover, if you live in a rural area, the scarcity of providers only makes it more challenging to receive prompt care. 

The Solution: Getting Assistance via Telehealth Services

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Fortunately, there is a solution to some of these barriers—telehealth services for veterans. Telehealth services can dramatically simplify and quicken the process of obtaining the treatment and benefits you deserve. 

Here are four advantages that come with telehealth visits: 

1. Prompt Quality Care

Telehealth offers access and convenience. Veterans can see medical specialists without leaving their homes and without having to endure long wait periods. Because of prompt care, the number of Veteran telehealth visits has been consistently increasing every year

Take a look at the number of veterans who sought telehealth visits during the past few years: 

  • 2016: Approximately 700,000 
  • 2018: Approximately 2.3 million 
  • 2019: Approximately 2.6 million 
Telehealth Services for Veterans

With prompt care, Veterans can attain the benefits and care they need sooner rather than later—-in 2016 alone, Telehealth visits brought down VA hospital admissions by 31 percent

2. Better Access

Do you live in a rural area? No problem. Approximately “45 percent of Veteran telehealth patients live in rural areas.” Telehealth provides quick and easy access to providers who can punctually get you what you need, no matter your geographic location.

For example, the Psypact enactment enables mental health providers to practice across twenty-two states (and this number is constantly growing). This can help veterans by giving them access to a broader range of providers.

Moreover, when veterans are seeking mental health care via telehealth, speaking with a provider in the comfort of your own home can help you feel more comfortable and lead to better quality care. Everyone’s experience is unique, so it’s important to gain access to customized care that works for you. 

Telehealth Services for Veterans

3. Veteran-Specific Services

Some telehealth visits entail veteran-specific telehealth services. These providers carry the expertise and experience to provide strong medical evidence that meets the VA’s rules and regulations. As they understand the needs of U.S. Military Veterans, telehealth providers can offer the compassion and care you need to confidently navigate through your journey to obtaining medical evidence.

4. Cost Savings

Let’s not forget the costs. Veterans can save roughly 60 to 70 percent when switching to telehealth services from traditional in-person appointments. 

Co-pays for virtual appointments generally cost less. This does depend on your insurance and provider, so we recommend first speaking with your insurance company about virtual visit costs. 

What We Offer

Mental Health

At Telemedica, we are proud to help open the door to high-quality telehealth services for Veterans.  We understand time is of the essence and waiting around for required medical evidence should not be the norm.  

As we know, to acquire VA benefits, you must have medical evidence or a diagnosis. Telemedica can connect you with our network of independently contracted providers who can provide telehealth examinations you might need. These assessments may result in a medical diagnosis of a mental health condition or 19 applicable medical conditions (ED, GERD, IBS, and more). 

Schedule Your Telehealth Visit Today

Telemedica is a telehealth company by veterans for veterans. If you’d like to receive a medical/mental health assessment to boost your VA claim, reach out to our team today. We proudly connect veterans with our network of independently contracted providers and look forward to doing the same for you.