Cigna Healthcare will expand a four-state pilot program to provide members with virtual house calls through a partnership with RelayHealth.

Virtual house calls will be offered to employers with self-insured health plans, offering a more convenient and affordable way to contact physicians for non-urgent, routine health issues.

Services will include reimbursable webVisit consultations that use an online, structured interview format to communicate member symptoms to the physician, who can respond online, by phone, or request an in-office visit.

"Patients are tiring of voicemail, telephone tag and long waits in the physician's office. They are finding that online communications can offer a convenient option to address their medical needs in less time at work, home or wherever they have access to a computer," said Andrew Siskind, MD, of Irvine Internal Medical Group.

Cigna has been using RelayHealth's online messaging since July 2006 with physicians based in California, Arizona, Florida and the Tri-State/New York metropolitan area.