Teladoc has inked a contract with the Mississippi Insurance Department to provide telehealth services statewide to the 13,000 Mississippi Volunteer Firefighters and their dependents. By offering telehealth consults to its volunteer firefighters, the Mississippi Insurance Department expects the Teladoc program to be used as a recruiting incentive as demographic changes decrease the pool of available firefighters.
The program with Teladoc will also benefit the state by increasing the availability of its firefighters to respond to emergency calls because routine medical conditions can be dealt with promptly.
In 2015, the Mississippi State legislature authorized funding and directed the Mississippi Insurance Department to establish a telemedicine medical health plan for volunteer firefighters in the state. Volunteer firefighters individually have the option to enroll in the program through the county fire coordinators.
“Teladoc will be a valuable benefit to the state and our volunteer firefighters. Through Teladoc we can offer our volunteer firefighters and their families affordable, convenient access to quality health care, minimize time away due to illness as well as time spent traveling to and awaiting medical care which is not always available in rural areas,” said Mississippi Commissioner of Insurance Mike Chaney, who is also the state Fire Marshal.
