Key takeaways
- Online doctors provide virtual healthcare through phone, video, or messaging platforms, allowing you to receive prescriptions without in-person visits for common conditions like medication refills, allergies, and minor infections.
- Telehealth services have expanded access to care for people in both rural and urban areas, with consultations typically costing around $29 and diagnosis turnaround times as quick as 15 minutes.
- While online prescriptions offer convenience and faster access to medications, they have limitations — certain controlled substances cannot be prescribed remotely, and some insurance plans may not cover out-of-state providers.
Overview
True to the name, online doctors provide their services online rather than through in-person appointments. You may hear this online care referred to as telemedicine, telehealth, or asynchronous care.
Getting a prescription from an online doctor can be much more convenient than seeing someone in person, particularly if you already have a diagnosis and only need a speedy refill of a medication. Online doctor prescriptions may help make healthcare more accessible for a greater number of people.
Note that you should not use online doctors in an emergency situation. They won’t be able to prescribe every kind of medication. They’ll generally be limited to specific, common conditions.
Need a diagnosis or prescription quickly? Optum Perks offers personalized on-demand care in as little as 15 minutes. For $29, answer a few questions online and receive a diagnosis and treatment plan from a US-licensed healthcare professional. Get started here.
Understanding online doctor prescriptions
There are many reasons you may not be able to get to an in-person doctor’s appointment. The use of telemedicine services like online doctor prescriptions has been steadily increasing in both rural and urban areas, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Online doctors provide virtual access to healthcare services through phone calls, video calls, or messaging platforms. You may not even communicate with one another at the same time, a process known as asynchronous care.
The services they may provide include:
- diagnosing common conditions
- offering medical advice
- ordering tests
- prescribing medications
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the services online doctors can provide may vary by state. But online doctors are bound to the same professional standards of ethics and quality of care as in-person doctors.
Online doctor prescriptions and other services are unlikely to be free. But many insurance plans, including Medicaid, are beginning to cover online doctor services.
Optum Perks online care
Optum Perks provides an online care service where you can get online doctor prescriptions. A consultation with one of their U.S.-licensed online healthcare professionals costs $29, and you can receive a diagnosis in as little as 15 minutes. If you receive a prescription, you can get your medication that same day.
The provider network includes board certified doctors of medicine (MDs), nurse practitioners (NPs), and advanced practice providers (APPs) who are licensed to practice in all 50 U.S. states.
The Optum Perks service covers a wide range of common conditions, including medication refills for:
- birth control
- asthma medications
- hypertension medications
- migraine medications
- EpiPens
They can also diagnose and prescribe treatments for conditions like:
- skin conditions like eczema or acne
- sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like chlamydia
- COVID-19
- urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- hair loss
- heartburn or acid reflux
Once you’ve received an online doctor’s prescription, remember you can also use the free Optum Perks Discount Card to save up to 80% on your medications.
How to get an online prescription with Optum Perks
The process to get an online prescription with Optum Perks is quick and straightforward. You can do this at any time of day. However, note that the results will take longer if you submit a request outside of office hours, as you’ll need to wait until office hours begin the next day.
The process is as follows:
- First, you’ll fill out an online form to find out if you’re eligible for a prescription. This will involve answering questions about your health history. This should take around 10 minutes.
- Next, a U.S.-licensed healthcare professional will review your medical history and the answers you provided online. You may receive your diagnosis and treatment plan in as little as 15 minutes, although it may take up to 1 hour. If you have questions, you can message the professional online within 72 hours.
- Finally, you can pick up your prescription from any pharmacy, or you can get it delivered.
If your condition can’t be treated with online care, you won’t be charged.
Benefits of online prescriptions
There are many benefits of telemedicine and online prescriptions.
- Expanding accessibility: Online care can make healthcare more accessible, especially for people living in rural areas and those with disabilities. This was particularly true during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Convenience: You can access online care at a time that suits you from wherever you are, as long as you have internet access.
- Cost savings: The Optum Perks online care system is typically cheaper than most insurance copays. Telemedicine can also save you money in transportation costs, especially if visiting a doctor’s office is costly. It’s also more efficient. One 2023 study involving people with cancer found that telehealth services saved participants up to $186 per visit in travel costs.
- High levels of care: One 2021 review suggests that online care services may provide comparable healthcare outcomes to in-person visits. But there’s some mixed evidence on the quality of care.
- Improved outcomes: If it’s difficult to access healthcare services, people may be less likely to stick to their treatments. Online prescriptions make it easier to access treatment, meaning it’s easier to follow your treatment plan. For example, one 2022 study in people with gastrointestinal diseases found that medication adherence rates were higher in people using telemedicine than people going to in-person appointments.
- Discreet care: If you have a condition you find embarrassing or difficult to talk about, like sexual health concerns, telemedicine can be a good option as you don’t need to discuss your concerns face-to-face.
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Get free cardDrawbacks of online care
There are also some reasons why online care may not be right for you.
- Emergencies: Online care can’t be used in emergency situations. If you’re experiencing a medical emergency, go to the ER or dial 911 straight away.
- Limited condition coverage: While online care often has a wide range of conditions it can cover, it can’t cover every condition. You may have a condition that online doctors aren’t able to diagnose or treat.
- Prescribing limitations: Online doctors may not be able to prescribe certain controlled substances.
- Technology access: Online care requires access to technology and the internet. Some individuals may not be familiar with such tools. And some may have limited access. Plus, at times, the service won’t work if the internet is down or your device isn’t working.
- Privacy concerns: Telemedicine may pose a risk to your privacy as WiFi networks and online information may be intercepted by hackers or other third parties.
It’s also important to note that while many insurance providers do cover telehealth services, your coverage may not extend to services given by online healthcare professionals located out of your state. Before using the services, it’s best to confirm whether your insurance plan would cover an out-of-state professional.
Summary
Online care, also known as telemedicine or asynchronous care, is a way to get prescriptions from the comfort of your own home. Online doctors can prescribe treatments for a wide range of common conditions.
Optum Perks offers an online prescription service that can provide you with a prescription from a certified professional in as little as 15 minutes.
Online prescription services can help expand healthcare access while still providing a high level of care. This service can also make it easier to stick to your treatments, too.
Download the free Optum Perks Discount Card to save up to 80% on many prescription medications. Plus, you can now get them delivered to your home in as little as 3 days. Search for your medication here.