The Cleveland Clinic’s virtual second-opinion program has led to avoidable costs for misdiagnosis of about $65 million annually, Healthcare Finance reports.
This is an estimated $65 million saved per 100,000 health plan members, said Frank McGillin, CEO of The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic. Typically, the virtual second opinion is a premium benefit health plans are offering, he said.
The digital, virtual solution was launched in the fall of 2020 as a joint venture between the Cleveland Clinic and Amwell, a telehealth company. But the concept began pre-pandemic, McGillin said.
Even as telehealth flexibilities opened up during the pandemic, the service offered by The Clinic at Cleveland Clinic is not considered a traditional telehealth visit, McGillin said. It’s not a reimbursed visit, but rather, it’s self-pay, or it’s a premium offering by the health plan. Patients can access the service from anywhere. Read more.
