USA Today has an article about online second opinion services. One would think it to be a booming market, however the largest three providers of said services only offer about 3,000 opinions annually. Here’s the service explanation:
Online second-opinion services offer patients consultations from specialists based on the medical records that they fax, mail or send via the Internet. The average cost, payable upfront via credit card, is $500 to $1,500, depending on the number of radiology or pathology interpretations required. Patients then receive online access to a second opinion in about two weeks.
The problem: “A limiting factor is that most insurance companies do not cover remote second opinions.”
However, the Cleveland Clinic and Cigna recently inked a deal to provide (the former) and cover (the latter) online second opinions for insured individuals. As more insurance companies begin to reimburse for the service, utilization is likely to rise.
Hi, I'm Drew Weilage. 