Like a growing number of Americans who get their health insurance through an employer, Jane has a high-deductible individual plan, so she avoids going to the doctor unless it’s absolutely necessary. Fortunately, Jane is in relatively good health, so even when she does catch a bug, she’s usually able to tough it out. She hasn’t been to the doctor in over a year.
One morning, Jane woke up and wasn’t feeling well. She brushed it off, got ready for work, and headed into the office. As the day went on, she continued to feel worse. Her stomach was hurting, and she felt a little feverish. When she got home, she skipped dinner, took some Tylenol, and collapsed into bed.
By the next morning, she was feeling even worse – she was nauseated, had a sore throat, and her body ached. After inputting her symptoms into the Amaze symptom checker, it looked like she might have the flu and decided it would be best to call in sick.
She tried drinking some water and went back to sleep. By evening, Jane felt terrible.
“This is definitely the flu,” she thought to herself, “But what if it’s something more serious?” Even with that thought lingering in her mind, she still didn’t want to risk the cost of going to the ER.
Her PCP’s office was already closed, so she pulled up the Amaze app and clicked the button to video chat with an Amaze Member Advocate. Within a few seconds, she was greeted by an advocate, who already had Jane’s dashboard displayed on his screen.
After talking with Jane, the advocate compiled a list of after-hours facilities in the area that accepted her insurance. The list included both the local hospital emergency room, and an urgent care facility that had just opened less than a mile from Jane’s house. Based on their conversation and the local ER’s rating as a high-cost provider, the Amaze advocate recommended that Jane head to the urgent care if she wanted to be evaluated further.
He asked Jane if she felt well enough to drive, if she had a ride, or if he could help arrange transportation. Jane said she felt well enough to drive herself, so the advocate triggered a text with directions to Jane’s phone. He also advised Jane that she would receive an alert with an “Urgent Care Visit Checklist” as soon she pulled into the facility parking lot.
Jane made it safely to the urgent care facility and was comforted when she saw the promised alert on her phone. After checking in and having her vitals taken, she was seen by a physician who ordered some quick tests. While waiting for the results, she reviewed the Urgent Care Visit Checklist. The doctor came in soon after, and thankfully, confirmed that Jane did indeed have the flu. Jane made sure to ask the doctor the questions on her checklist, and had all of her questions sufficiently answered.
Jane headed home with an antiviral medication and some peace of mind, knowing that she had made the right decision to seek assistance from Amaze to obtain quick, quality care.
