MiCare offers direct access to healthcare Published July 27, 2016 By Airman 1st Class Stuart Bright 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- When Airmen need to talk to a doctor, they usually call the 2nd Medical Group. However, there is an easier way to get your medical needs addressed quickly. “MiCare is an online secure messaging system that allows patients to talk about their medical needs to medical technicians,” said 1st Lt. Alicia Gebele, 2nd Medical Group practice manager. Through MiCare, patients are able to query technicians about a variety of issues. “You can talk about labs, radiology results, any symptoms you are having, book an appointment, or fill your prescriptions with the pharmacy,” said Gebele. “You can pretty much do anything medically you need through there.” While using MiCare, you will get a response from a medical technician within 24 hours, but the wait time can be up to 72 hours if you call in a telephone consult. “If you are calling through the appointment line it isn’t exactly going through your Primary Care Manager,” said Gebele. “MiCare goes through your technician or your PCM and they’re responding to you. It’s kind of like direct access to your PCM.” Some benefits of MiCare include receiving written advice for patient referrals, having direct contact with the patient’s healthcare team for non-urgent matters, and obtaining education using the provided library. "Not only as a medical technician, but as a user, MiCare is a very reliable and convenient resource for me and my busy work schedule,” said Senior Airman Kelsey Reed, 2nd Medical Group medical technician. “MiCare is awesome, I encourage everyone to sign up.” For more information, visit https://app.relayhealth.com.