Business
Aetna, Cigna expand online consults
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 14, 2008
Cigna and Aetna each have announced that they plan to pay physicians across the U.S. for talking to patients online.
Cigna in December 2007 said it would expand a four-region pilot program it started in July 2006.
The health plan would pay $25 for a typical "webVisit," a consultation through a secure network managed by RelayHealth, Cigna spokesman Mark Slitt said. The service will be available to Cigna members whose employers are self-insured, a group that represents the bulk of Cigna's business, Slitt said.
About 5,000 of Cigna's 500,000 network physicians have used the program in the pilot in California, Arizona, Florida and the New York tri-state area, he said. Reimbursement will expand nationally this year.
Meanwhile, Aetna, which also offers online consultation services through RelayHealth, announced the same month that it has "significantly" expanded its services.
Aetna had tested its system with physicians, mostly in primary care, in California, Florida and Washington. The company says the system will expand to more than 30 specialties nationwide. Aetna did not disclose how much physicians would be paid for online consultations with patients.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/01/14/bibf0114.htm.
