Save $$ With Online Doctor Visits

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- This year, 39 percent of doctors said they had communicated with patients online -- up 16 percent from five years ago. It's a trend that's saving patients time, and recent studies show, can also save you money.

Today, Kathy Williams is taking her son Javon to the doctor … online. With seven kids and a full-time job, she could use the timesaver.

Seeing your doctor online is also a money saver. In one study, virtual visits reduced costly trips to the ER by 24 percent, and more and more insurance carriers are covering online sessions. Aetna, Cigna and some Blue Cross, Blue Shield plans are already onboard. For Williams, it means fewer missed days of work.

"It helps me a lot being that I have, you know, the seven children," Williams told Ivanhoe.

It's saving time and money in an economy that needs it.

When an insurer doesn't pay for an online session, some doctors charge far less than an in-person visit … around $20 to $35. This past summer, Maine passed a law requiring health insurers to cover virtual doctor visits because of their low cost.