Micki

Micki Evans is a mother of two and works in Clifton, Texas, at the very same limestone plant where her father started his career more than 40 years ago. Her husband is a U.S. Marshall in Waco – about 30 minutes away from their home. Thankfully, Micki’s mother and her husband’s grandmother live nearby and are able to take her children to school every morning and assist with afternoon childcare.

While Micki and her family are happy to live in a rural town like Clifton, there are downsides, especially when it comes to accessing health care. For example, it’s over a 30-minute drive to get to their family doctor: “The drive to visit our doctor may not seem so bad, but with two athletic and rambunctious boys at home, when it seems like someone is always either breaking an arm, needing stitches or coming down with a fever, getting to a doctor quickly causes considerable stress when you work full time.”

Like so many Americans during the COVID-19 crisis, Micki and her family began taking advantage of telehealth services covered by her health insurance provider. Micki’s children have been able to receive quality care from doctors she trusts, all from the comfort and safety of her home. Through telehealth, the Evans family has been able to overcome some of the challenges stemming from living in a more rural environment.

Micki recently used telehealth services for her oldest son to meet with the family’s physician when he woke up not feeling well. “I was able to go online, make an appointment, speak with the doctor and get a prescription in less than 20 minutes,” she said. “I can’t believe that I’ve been driving to Waco for all these years when a solution as easy as this is available. I’m thankful our health insurance providers and doctors are expanding access to telehealth, especially for families living in rural communities where it’s never easy to visit doctors, but especially during COVID-19.”

With telehealth services, Micki’s sons don’t have to miss as much school, and she doesn’t have to miss as much work. She recommends telemedicine services for other families living in her community.