Practice Management
Urgent care has taken root, among other reasons, based on its capability to treat patients who otherwise would be sitting (and waiting) in local hospital emergency rooms with nonemergent illness and injury. This benefits not only our industry and the patients who need urgent care, but also those patients who will find a less-crowded ED than they might find in a world without urgent care. And some of them—particularly those covered by Medicare and Medicaid, …
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Kaiser Permanente’s heavy investment in information technology seems to be paying off, as more than half of the insurer’s 100 million-plus member–physician interactions now take place virtually. Members have said they appreciate the convenience of being able to “see” a doctor outside the office, reflecting broader trends toward healthcare consumerism (especially among young adults). The fact that 95% of Kaiser Permanente members are covered on a capitated basis frees network physicians from worries other clinicians …
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Urgent care is about to get even more accessible for members of Kaiser Permanente Northwest. The plan is offering phone or video visits with no copay for patients who don’t feel up to an in-person encounter in the urgent care center. Appointments to video chat with a provider can be made on the Kaiser website and conducted with any smartphone, laptop, or desktop computer that has a video camera. The providers will have access to members’ …
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