Does insurance cover telemedicine in Alaska? For many families, the answer is yes. Most major insurance plans in Alaska now include some level of telehealth coverage for pediatric visits. The specifics depend on your plan, your provider network, and the type of visit. If you're a parent trying to figure out whether a virtual appointment will be covered before you book it, you're not alone. Telemedicine in Alaska has become a well-established, insurance-supported option for many common...

“How long until my baby’s umbilical cord falls off?” is a question most parents will Google within their first days of being home with their newborn. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s also one of the first things new parents get to observe and care for, so you’re totally justified in wanting to know what’s normal. We’ll go over the typical timeline for cord separation, how to care for the umbilical cord stump and newborn skin in the meantime, what signs to bring to your provider, and...

Wondering what telemedicine for kids in rural Alaska looks like, and how it works? We hear from parents who live far from the nearest medical clinic. Pediatric telemedicine is pretty simple and convenient. We connect you to our provider via video visit, often on the same day, with no flights, ferry rides, or road trips between you and your child’s care. We’ll walk through what actually happens during a pediatric telemedicine visit, how it's become such a useful option for families all over...

Your child wakes up with one eye crusted shut and looking pink and irritated, and the questions come fast: pink eye in kids.. is it contagious, and do they need medicine? It's a common reason parents search for answers before deciding whether school, daycare, or a visit to the doctor is the right next step. Pink eye is one of the most common infections among children. Though it almost always appears much worse than it actually is. We’ll discuss the typical symptoms of pink eye, how contagious...

You're checking your child before bed and notice a rash that wasn't there this morning. “Rash on child, how do I know if it’s serious?” is a commonly searched question by parents late at night and for obvious reasons. Kids’ skin responds to just about anything, from new laundry detergent to a transient virus. The good news is that most rashes kids get go away on their own and aren’t serious. Here’s what to look for, common types of rashes to know, what it means when your child’s rash is...

Your toddler bumped their head, and now you're watching them carefully, trying to decide if you need to intervene. This is a parenting moment that happens often in the early years, and can cause a lot of anxiety while you wait to see how your child reacts. You aren't always sure what to do when your toddler bumps their head. Fortunately, most of the time, toddler head bumps don't require evaluation by a doctor, even if they seem serious at the time. That said, there are specific signs that...