California comp agency approves telemedicine offerings

Harbor Health Systems, a One Call Care Management company, announced Thursday that it received approval from the California Department of Workers’ Compensation to offer telemedicine through its medical provider networks.

Through the video teleconferencing via Irvine, California-based Harbor Health’s telemedicine partners, an injured worker can gain immediate access to treatment, eliminating unnecessary costs and delays, according to a press statement. 

For the employer, using telemedicine results in less downtime and reduces transportation costs, and injured employees who find it difficult to travel to the doctor’s office can now obtain qualified consultations from their home or worksite, keeping the treatment plan on track and moving forward, the statement said.

The new approval will enhance Harbor Health’s ability to connect physicians with patients in rural areas and those who need access to care 24 hours a day, said Linda Lane, president of Harbor Health Systems, in a press statement. 

 “This approval is a positive step forward in improving access to high quality care for injured workers,” said Ms. Lane. “We can now offer the capability to patients and to payers to search the Harborsys (medical provider networks) provider directory and find high performing physicians who offer telemedicine, or to be directed to these physicians by our Medical Access Assistant staff.”