Over the past year, going to the doctor or receiving in-person care have become a risk to your health. In order to stay safe, telehealth and telemedicine have been utilized as a more comfortable option.  

While this technology is not new, its demand increased because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the Foreign Service Benefit Plan (FSBP) has sought to provide additional means for remote access to primary care providers and specialists – including mental and behavioral health. 

As a member of FSBP, you have access to telehealth and telemedicine services. But what’s the difference between them?  

When you are utilizing services from Teladoc® or vHealth (Worldwide), we (FSBP) refer to this as a “telehealth” visit. When you consult with your established provider or primary care physician (PCP) for clinical services virtually (via secure video conference or by telephone) we (FSBP) refer to this as a “telemedicine” visit.  

Take a closer look at how the two services differ in terms of benefit coverage with FSBP.