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Consult A Doctor Unveils Nationwide Consumer-Directed Telemedicine Service Providing 24/7 Phone and Secure Email Medical Consultations - Revolutionizing Affordable Healthcare Access for All

Posted on: Monday, 3 December 2007, 09:00 CST

MIAMI, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthcare Access Solutions, LLC today announced the launch of Consult A Doctor (http://www.consultadr.com/), a complementary healthcare membership service guaranteed to reduce healthcare costs by providing greater access to licensed physicians by telephone or secure email.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071203/CLM015LOGO )

Consult A Doctor is focused on becoming the leading provider of consumer- driven telemedicine services that improve health and reduce health care costs 10-25% or more for employer-sponsored plans, individuals and families. For companies, Consult A Doctor's programs empower employees to be healthier and reduce absenteeism by replacing up to 66% of unnecessary doctors' office visits, giving members alternatives to seeing their primary care physician for purely informational concerns and basic care. Providing easy and immediate access to doctors for non-critical health questions and concerns will reduce healthcare premiums, claims, and sick leave while increasing employee wellness, morale and productivity.

"Health-care costs have risen more than 60% in the past five years, and most of America's 177 million insured workers are bracing for another dose of pain," (Time Inc Pressure on Your Health Benefits- Kathleen Kingsbury Oct. 29, 2006). "Corporations are reducing health care benefits while passing higher costs onto their employees and everybody is losing. Consult A Doctor has just what the doctor ordered with innovative telemedicine solutions to lower healthcare costs and create healthier employees," states Wolf Shlagman, Consult A Doctor co-founder and CEO.

"Imagine never waiting for a doctor again! Imagine having immediate access to a network of US licensed doctors, by toll-free phone number and secure email - available to you as often as you need. Get answers to health questions; discuss symptoms and concerns about you or your child. Even get prescribed medication if appropriate for common illnesses and have it called into your local pharmacy or sent directly to you by overnight delivery. Accessible Anytime, From Anywhere ... 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, costing pennies a day. This is part of the future of healthcare, realized today," states Shlagman.

The American Medical Association estimates that 70% of all doctor visits may be just informational and unnecessary, and can be handled by telephone or email using a service like Consult A Doctor.

Consult A Doctor's health care solutions accelerate the transformation to a consumer-driven healthcare revolution that lowers costs while providing greater access to affordable, quality health care - giving more choice, more control and more savings to everyone.

Given the direct and indirect savings companies can realize, it's no surprise that more and more employers and individuals are turning to telemedicine in the face of ever-increasing healthcare costs. According to a 2007 BCC Research study, the telemedicine service market is expected to grow from $3 billion to $8 billion in the next five years, an annual growth rate of over 18%.

Consult A Doctor is well positioned to take advantage of this growth trend. The company has been focused over the last 5 years on creating solutions to the inefficiencies of an antiquated and ineffectual healthcare system, which, by experts' estimates, is wasting hundreds of billions of dollars and costing countless lives every year. "Over the last few years, we have put tremendous research and development into Consult A Doctor," stated Shlagman, "as we already have the systems, technology, and hundreds of doctors who want to be a part of the future, waiting to serve the huge need and fill the gap in the healthcare system today.

The leading telemedicine companies in the market offer only one point of access to physicians - either telephone or email - and few to no accompanying features. Consult A Doctor will be different by offering member access to doctors by both telephone and email with a range of services that allow for immediate answers to health-related questions through comprehensive evaluations that can include diagnosis of common ailments and treatment recommendations. Every member also receives access to the Online Personal Health Manager, an online portal that provides educational, decision support and risk assessment tools that empower participants to take better self-care and live healthier lifestyles.

"Not everyone wants to talk to doctors on the phone. By providing access by phone and email to certified doctors," said Frederic Ariola, Director of Marketing, "our service provides increased accessibility that companies just can't get anywhere else."

Employers realize savings and increased productivity from lower absenteeism attributable to preventable illness and unnecessary doctors' office visits, lower costs to the employer and employee for not having to pay for those visits, and prevention education that improves the overall health of the employees.

Consult A Doctor can be paired seamlessly with existing healthcare benefits and insurance plans. Memberships and consultations can be purchased using funds from tax-advantaged health savings account (HSA) funds. Consult A Doctor makes it easy by automatically generating receipts and CMS 1500 forms for documentation reimbursement.

The American Journal of Health Promotion recently found a 26% reduction in healthcare costs and 28% reduction in sick leave absenteeism in companies with telemedicine and preventative health programs.

Consult A Doctor guarantees healthcare savings for companies. "Consult A Doctor provides individual plans and tiered membership plans for any size company that begin at just pennies per employee per day.

Companies who provide this complementary service to employees will show significant overall healthcare savings guaranteed - or membership is free," promised Mr. Shlagman.

For more information about Consult A Doctor, please visit http://www.consultadr.com/

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071203/CLM015LOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Healthcare Access Solutions, LLC

CONTACT: Frederic Ariola, +1-888-688-DOCTOR ext.130,fariola@consultadr.com

Web site: http://www.consultadr.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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