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WOONSOCKET, R.I— CVS Health announced that MinuteClinic, the company’s retail medical clinic, has rolled out its new virtual health care offering in Delaware, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Utah and Vermont. People in those states with minor illnesses and injuries, skin conditions and other wellness needs can now seek care through MinuteClinic Video Visits, a telehealth offering. MinuteClinic Video Visits provide patients with access to care 24 hours a day, seven days a week from their mobile device.
“We’re excited to introduce MinuteClinic Video Visits to people who live and work in Delaware, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Utah and Vermont,” said Dr. Marc-David Munk, chief medical officer, CVS MinuteClinic and associate chief medical officer, CVS Health. “At CVS Health, we’re committed to delivering high-quality care when and where our patients need it and at prices they can afford. This new MinuteClinic service offers them access to an innovative, on-demand health care option right from their cell phone.”
MinuteClinic has been testing telehealth as a method of increasing access to care in recent years. During the initial phase of testing, a CVS Health study found that 95% of patients who opted to receive a telehealth visit were highly satisfied with the quality of care they received. In the same study, 95% of patients were satisfied with the convenience of using the telehealth service and the overall telehealth experience. Those results led the company to develop MinuteClinic Video Visits.
Working collaboratively with Teladoc the global leader in virtual care, and leveraging Teladoc’s technology platform, patients can receive care via a MinuteClinic Video Visit, initiated through the CVS Pharmacy app. Patients who opt to seek care through a fully customized MinuteClinic Video Visit experience the same high-quality, evidence-based care they receive at traditional MinuteClinic locations inside select CVS Pharmacy and Target stores.
A video visit can be used to care for patients ages two years and up who are seeking treatment for a minor illness, minor injury, or a skin condition. Each patient will complete a health questionnaire, then be matched to a board-certified health care provider licensed in their state, who will review the completed questionnaire with the patient’s medical history, and proceed with the video-enabled visit.
During a MinuteClinic Video Visit, the provider will assess the patient’s condition and determine the appropriate course of treatment following evidence-based clinical care guidelines. For patients who require a prescription as part of their treatment plan, the provider will submit the prescription to the patient’s preferred pharmacy. If it is determined the patient should be seen in person for follow-up care or testing, the provider will recommend that the patient visit a health care provider in their community, such as their primary care provider or a nearby MinuteClinic location.
A MinuteClinic Video Visit costs $59, which is currently payable by credit card or debit card. Insurance coverage will be added to the experience in the coming months. The service, first introduced in August 2018, is now available in 16 states: Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and Virginia and Washington D.C. and is expected to be available nationwide, where allowed, by the end of 2018.
