Find quick + easy mental health help in Alabama with this resource

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It can be hard to find time for doctor appointments during your school or work day, especially for important mental health resources like therapy.

One easy way to avoid driving to appointments and waiting rooms is with Telehealth: A way to meet providers and get the help you need electronically!

We tapped Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama (BCBSAL) for some professional perspective and how Telehealth is making a huge difference on the topic of mental health.

Telehealth gives you a wide network of healthcare providers + resources

Leaving the office to go to any appointment, let alone the time it takes to get one in the first place, feels nearly impossible for me. In fact, I’ve spent weeks searching for a primary care physician in my city whom I trust.

But with Telehealth, I don’t have to spend weeks at a time finding a doctor, booking an appointment and taking time off work.

I spoke with Dr. Darrel Weaver at BCBSAL to learn a little more about this resource.

“Say you really needed a visit right now, but you just can’t take the afternoon off to go to an office and wait for your appointment.

With [Telehealth], you can say ‘I’ve got a telehealth appointment at 3:30’ and you work, you do your telehealth appointment and you go right back to work. It helps you with productivity.”

Dr. Darrel Weaver, Vice President of Provider Engagement, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.

Healthcare from anywhere!

Dr. Weaver laid out a few benefits he’s seen Telehealth have for individuals across Alabama:

• It provides privacy between you + your healthcare provider.
• It eliminates the need to find transportation or childcare.
• It saves you time during your work or school day.
• It’s a quick way to find appointments (+ avoiding waiting rooms!)

“The old option was: You call, get an appointment and drive somewhere. But maybe you don’t know who to see first—you might work hard, take a day off and go to the wrong provider.

But now, it’s so much easier for you to get a behavioral or mental health visit from somebody in Birmingham, Atlanta or somewhere like that, and you’re not worried by geographic boundaries anymore as to where your provider is.”

Dr. Darrel Weaver, Vice President of Provider Engagement, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.

Note: There are no special network or program enrollment requirements for providers to perform and bill for telehealth services.

Get reliable (and quick) healthcare resources in Alabama

BCBSAL partners with a behavioral health service called Lucet to help get people connected to the doctors they need.

According to Dr. Weaver, the wait time in the current system is two weeks from the time you call to make an appointment. But Lucet is averaging a four-day wait.

Lucet connects you with a healthcare provider based on your needs. Once you’re ‘matched’ with a provider, the Lucet team sends you available appointments—all you have to do is check which date and time works best for you!

Find ways to boost your mental health

Since May is Mental Health Month, we’re taking every chance to share tips and resources from the experts in Alabama.

Check out a few tips for boosting your mental health.

“Telehealth has been one of the biggest advancements in behavioral health care that I know of.

It has greatly increased access to behavioral health care, because you can now get it from the privacy of your own home, or from a city or state away.

At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, we want the whole person to be better—and we’re seeing that.”

Dr. Darrel Weaver, Vice President of Provider Engagement, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.

Schedule your next Telehealth visit and find more Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama resources.

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