Is forced telemedicine the future of healthcare?

Would you take unlimited 24/7 access to primary care doctors via smartphone, tablet or computer, with zero out-of-pocket co-pays, if it meant you’d have to pay a lot more money to see your regular doctor in person?

Welcome to the future of telemedicine, also known as telehealth.

Insurance giant Humana is betting many will be happy with such a trade. The company has partnered with a telemedicine provider called Doctor on Demand to offer a discount-priced teledoc-based health insurance plan it calls On Hand.

The plan, which costs employers up to 20 percent less than traditional plans, became available in Florida on June 1.

A new telemedicine law signed last month by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will make it easier for physicians licensed out of state to provide services to Florida residents. Out-of-state doctors can pay a one-time $150 registration fee to see Florida patients.

Modern technology and ultrafast connectivity is undoubtedly changing how health care is delivered around the world. The internet makes it possible for specialists on the other side of the globe to participate in complex, delicate surgeries, as well as for surgeons to examine patients being treated by paramedics in an ambulance or on a living room floor.

Yet, online examinations have been widely available for several years now, but analysts say we’re just not warming up to the idea as they expected.

- Doug Myrick