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Work Comp Doctor Will See You Now – In Your Home?

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Work Comp Doctor Will See You Now

A work comp doctor that will make house calls may seem to be very old-fashioned.   How about if the injured workers or their employers could make the house call appointment from a smartphone?

Picture of doctor visit on pregnant women home Work Comp Doctor concept
(c) 123RF.com

Update-The Wall Street Journal very recently published a great article on physicians making house calls.

That may seem like a far-fetched idea, except that it is almost a reality.  Yes, there is an app for that.   An Associated Press article from today says there is now an Uber approach to medicine. 

A smartphone app from a company known as Pager and similar companies like Heal and Medicast are now in the market to set up in-home doctor visits for people that do not wish to wait or to travel to a regular physician’s office setting.

The work comp doctor could even see the injured employees at the employer’s location.  However, a house call from a work comp doctor would enable the physician to see the background/home life of the patient.

If the same physician or physician’s group also visited the employer and discussed the return to work, this would put the claims process light years ahead of the current model.

Picture of Work Comp Doctor holding smartphone
123RF

Yesterday, I spoke with an investment group concerning technology in WC.  However, the only term that I could come up with is – bereft.

One interesting note is one of the co-owners of Pager says the demographic which uses them the most are working mothers from 30 – 45 years old.

Of course, getting health insurers to pay for house calls is a problem.   The price for a house call is $250 out-of-pocket.   Would WC carriers spring for a more expensive appointment?

A very heavy cost-benefit analysis would have to be undertaken to  make sure that a much higher-priced house call would be worth the fee.

Ninety percent of physicians do not make house calls at this time.  There is an untapped market there for the medical community.   The article did say there was a level of concern by physicians concerning house calls for chronic conditions.   Sixty years ago, chronic conditions were treated by house calls.

The work comp doctor visiting the patient may allay some of the hesitation about online doctor visits.  Following up an online visit with an in-home visit could be an interesting combination of treatment.  Medicast seems to have covered both bases.  

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James J Moore - Workers Comp Expert

Raleigh, NC, United States

About The Author...

James founded a Workers’ Compensation consulting firm, J&L Risk Management Consultants, Inc. in 1996. J&L’s mission is to reduce our clients’ Workers Compensation premiums by using time-tested techniques. J&L’s claims, premium, reserve and Experience Mod reviews have saved employers over $9.8 million in earned premiums over the last three years. J&L has saved numerous companies from bankruptcy proceedings as a result of insurance overpayments.

James has over 27 years of experience in insurance claims, audit, and underwriting, specializing in Workers’ Compensation. He has supervised, and managed the administration of Workers’ Compensation claims, and underwriting in over 45 states. His professional experience includes being the Director of Risk Management for the North Carolina School Boards Association. He created a very successful Workers’ Compensation Injury Rehabilitation Unit for school personnel.

James’s educational background, which centered on computer technology, culminated in earning a Masters of Business Administration (MBA); an Associate in Claims designation (AIC); and an Associate in Risk Management designation (ARM). He is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and a licensed financial advisor. The NC Department of Insurance has certified him as an insurance instructor. He also possesses a Bachelors’ Degree in Actuarial Science.

LexisNexis has twice recognized his blog as one of the Top 25 Blogs on Workers’ Compensation. J&L has been listed in AM Best’s Preferred Providers Directory for Insurance Experts – Workers Compensation for over eight years. He recently won the prestigious Baucom Shine Lifetime Achievement Award for his volunteer contributions to the area of risk management and safety. James was recently named as an instructor for the prestigious Insurance Academy.

James is on the Board of Directors and Treasurer of the North Carolina Mid-State Safety Council. He has published two manuals on Workers’ Compensation and three different claims processing manuals. He has also written and has been quoted in numerous articles on reducing Workers’ Compensation costs for public and private employers. James publishes a weekly newsletter with 7,000 readers.

He currently possess press credentials and am invited to various national Workers Compensation conferences as a reporter.

James’s articles or interviews on Workers’ Compensation have appeared in the following publications or websites:

  • Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS)
  • Entrepreneur Magazine
  • Bloomberg Business News
  • WorkCompCentral.com
  • Claims Magazine
  • Risk & Insurance Magazine
  • Insurance Journal
  • Workers Compensation.com
  • LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites
  • Various trade publications

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