By now, many people are aware of the valuable role that a medical customer service solution can provide to both patients and physicians in streamlining the communications process. But should medical call centers receive public funding? A pair of physicians have recently released a white paper arguing for just that.
Dr. Barton Schmitt and Dr. Andrew Hertz have laid out the premise that the right of Americans to have access to health care should include the ability to speak with a nurse at a call center 24/7 to get advice on illnesses and injuries and that government funding for answering services would be beneficial to all Americans.
The white paper says that a national call center for the uninsured could greatly reduce the number of unnecessary emergency room and urgent care visits, which place a high burden on the public health system. It also notes that this wouldn’t be unprecedented, as New Mexico currently offers a medical telephone answering service program for its uninsured residents.
