Ask Dr. Facebook
Are high deductibles causing consumers to turn to social networks for diagnoses?
A friend of mine recently got stung by a bee, and the area was swollen, itchy and red two days after the incident. Instead of going to the doctor, she took a picture, posted it on Facebook and asked friends how to treat her bee sting.
She received 66 responses – the bulk of them instantaneously. They ranged from taking Benadryl, to using a topical antihistamine or antibiotic cream, to icing, to homeopathic pastes and remedies. One person commented that if she felt swelling in her throat or had trouble breathing she should go to the emergency room ASAP. What does one do with 66 responses? Granted, some of them overlapped, but that’s a lot of second opinions.
Some of the comments people asked my friend were, “why not go to the doctor?” One clever comment read: Dr. > FB
Her answer was that her insurance coverage had a super high deductible, and a doctor visit would cost her $200 out of pocket. YIKES!
So she went to her social network instead.
Is this any different than a young mother calling her mom or girlfriend and asking for advice when her kid has a cold, fever, is croupy or teething? While the discussion isn’t out there in the ether, it’s still asking for a non-professional, yet trusted diagnosis and treatment.
Why didn’t my friend go to a walk-in clinic where you can see a registered nurse that costs about $40 with or without insurance? These are popping up in major pharmacy chains like Walgreens, CVS and in larger retail operations like Walmart and Target. Did she not go because she isn’t aware these exist? Or because she doesn’t trust them?
Since this person is comfortable online, she might be more likely to log on to a telemedicine site, put in her credit card info, get charged a minimum fee and FaceTime or Skype with a doctor.
High deductible insurance is here to stay. Paying full freight to see your PCP for what might be a simple cold or bee sting is something people will avoid, but at what cost? Gaining the consumers’ trust in these new care models is going to take some solid marketing and awareness campaigns. In the meantime, Dr. Facebook is getting quite the reputation.