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Village hears presentation on text-based telehealth; no decision made
Summary
Representative from MDHealth Pathways (Tap Telehealth) introduced a $6/month, opt-out, text-based telehealth service being offered to Illinois municipalities and answered trustees' questions on cost, liability and enrollment. The board did not act and staff said no decision is required tonight.
Brian Davis, a representative of MDHealth Pathways (branded Tap Telehealth), presented a proposal to offer residents a text-based telehealth service the village could fund through a low monthly fee placed on utility bills with an opt-out option.
The service would let enrolled households text licensed clinicians for triage, prescriptions and video evaluations. Davis said the introductory Illinois offer being discussed for nearby communities is $6 per month per household and that the program covers up to 10 people per household. He described the service as “concierge medicine” and said it does not provide controlled substances.
The presentation explained operational details and outcomes reported from other municipalities. Davis said participating cities saw heavy use: “this is the number 1 used city service in our community by far,” and that the service reduced 911 dispatches and school absenteeism in a Texas pilot. He also gave a personal example of using the service to get a prescription filled within 30 minutes for his daughter.
Board members and staff asked about scope, staffing, liability and enrollment. Staff said the company has about eight licensed doctors ready in Illinois and uses a mix of physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Davis said about one-third of encounters are handled by doctors, one-third by nurse practitioners and one-third by PAs.
On liability, Davis said the company requires professional liability coverage for its clinicians and that “the standard is $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 in medical malpractice, which is what we require all of our doctors to handle.” Trustees asked about complaints, customer service and the mechanics of adding the charge to a utility bill; Davis said the company would provide community outreach and a soft transfer option for billing questions.
Trustees also raised likely resident pushback to an automatic, bill-based charge and asked whether the village could opt everyone out by default. Davis said their model is opt-out for billing efficiency and high enrollment but said individuals can opt out at any time. Village staff reminded the board there is no policy decision required tonight and encouraged trustees to collect more information before acting.
The presentation closed with staff offering to collect additional details, including cost scenarios, legal terms and implementation options, and the company said it would help with community outreach if the village proceeds.
No ordinance or contract was adopted at the meeting; trustees asked for follow-up information and said they would consider the policy decision in a future meeting.
