In a new agreement between the union and the state effective July 1, 2019, OCSEA members will now be able to use Telemedicine for minor medical office visits and reduce their copay by half! Telehealth or Telemedicine is the use of computers or other electronic devices to provide health care from a distance.
Union members on the Joint Health Care Committee tried to negotiate the option of offering Telehealth for OCSEA state bargaining unit members during the last round of contract bargaining, whereby members could get a reduced copay by doing some health visits on line.
While the parties could not come to an agreement during bargaining, the union pressed the issue and now the sides have agreed that beginning July 1 of this year, members will be able to use the voluntary Telehealth benefit with a reduced co-pay.
Telehealth will allow OCSEA state bargaining unit members and their family to access medical care via technology for the usual things they would go to urgent care for: including colds, flu, sinus problems, allergies and other minor health issues.
The copay for telemedicine will be reduced by half and participants will be able to do it straight from their own smart phones or computers.
Stay tuned the OCSEA website and DAS Benefits site for updates on pre-registration resources and more.