When I heard of these new house call apps, I thought that it was like a doctor's appointment, but more convenient because they came to your house. I had my first Heal appointment last week and I feel compelled to write about them because it's not just a more convenient doctor appointment - I feel that the experience is actually better because it is in your house. That is, the doctors have contextual knowledge that they can use to more thoroughly understand your life and your problems!
I'd hurt my back on a Sunday and expected it to resolve itself soon. 5 days later, it hadn't. My regular doctor doesn't work on Fridays, and my One Medical membership had expired that day. I really wanted to see someone, before the weekend, to see if I could get some tips to be more comfortable and make sure I wasn't dying.
I booked the Heal appointment on the app, and someone called to tell me that Heal couldn't prescribe some class of drugs, and checking to make sure that I still wanted the appointment. I said to continue - I don't know anything about prescription drug classification and I'm pretty sure I could be helped using something techniques, drugs, or other things that aren't tightly controlled. About 45 minutes later my doorbell rang. I wish I had been given more of a heads-up, but no matter, I'd expected them since they said within 2 hours.
A doctor and an assistant came in, said hello, and played with my dog Lapa. Chatting with the doctor was great - I felt like he was really listening to me instead of staring at a computer and typing. The doctor recommended I heat my back instead of ice it, and I told him I was worried about twisting my back with the hot water bottle on one side. He used my couch and my couch pillows to demonstrate how to avoid that problem. It was way more helpful than the doctor's office, since I would be using that exact couch and those pillows to lay down on as soon as they left. The doctor wrote me some prescriptions and pulled up a map of the pharmacies closest to my house on my iPad for me to choose the one I wanted. Since I was having trouble walking, they even have a pharmacy that delivers! After I chose a pharmacy, the doctor immediately called them from my living room and placed the prescription, so I didn't need to wait.
The medical assistant part seemed a little unnecessary, and I think he was bored at my house. He took my temperature and blood pressure (I don't know why this is so important, seems like my blood pressure is taken every week and every time it's just fine). It is kind of nice to have two people come though.
All in, I thought that spent more time with me than I would have had at say, One Medical. It also felt much less intimidating -- I was more likely to venture guesses about what was happening and bring up questions I had since I was more comfortable in my house. (The doctor was also really friendly, which helps!). He wrote me a list of his recommendations and signed with his email. I was comforted to know I had a way to directly get in touch with him if anything weird happened or if any questions came up. Finally, the obvious of house calls - you don't have to go anywhere and there's no sitting in a waiting room or dealing with receptionists.
They're in network with my insurance, Anthem Blue Shield, so I only had to pay a $20 copay! I thought using them would be a one-off situation but now I am recommending them to friends and I plan on using them again soon.
Lucy, a Heal visit is $99, no hidden fees or surcharges. It covers everything that the doctor does while at your home.
Shara, right now, a Heal visit is $99 with or without insurance. You can submit your receipt and medical visit summary to see if your insurance company will reimburse you. We're working to partner with the major insurance companies to make Heal even more affordable.
@sharasenderoff Heal is now an in-network provider with Anthem, Cigna, Aetna, Blue Shield of CA. A few more major insurance plans coming online very soon.
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