Virtual Visits
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Health Solutions PLLC
What is a Virtual Visit?
A Virtual Visit is a phone or email consult regarding a relatively simple problem or issue.
What kind of problems are appropriate for a Virtual Visit?
Appropriate e-mail and phone appointments might include:
Who can ask for a Virtual Visit?
Only patients with whom we have an established relationship should request this service.
How do I set up a Virtual Visit?
If you would like to visit by phone, call and leave a message for Carla. She will return your call and either
find a time that works to connect by phone or complete the visit at that time. She will take your credit card
information for billing at the end of the visit. If she determines that you should be seen in person, she will
ask you to schedule and you will not be charged for the phone visit. Carla seldom runs late, but please
allow up to 15 minutes leeway in case a scheduled in-office patient should need extended attention.
Carla will make every effort to notify you of delays.
To set up an email visit, simply click the link at the left. This link takes you to a secure page where you
can enter your credit card information and then enter a secure email to us. Your initial email through our
web-form is secure.
Email responses are sent as soon as possible but may take up to 24 hours. Email visits often require
you to reply to a question or two. It is best if you can be as detailed as possible in your initial email so we
have the information we need to respond to you. It is not workable to keep up with three or more back
and forth emails per "visit" for each person we are "seeing" this way!
What do Virtual Visits cost?
The fee is based on time spent. Email visits (CPT CODE 99444) are $30 for straightforward issues. If
back and forth emails are required or the issue is complex and requires quite a bit of explanation, the
charge will be $55.
If during either a phone or email visit, we determine your issue requires an office appointment, your
charge for the Virtual Visit will be applied to your office visit. Sometimes, the Virtual Visit is so simple or
short, that the charge will be waived. My general guideline for waiving the charge is when a visit involves
less than 5 minutes of my time. This is based on accepted insurance guidelines that apply to in-office
visits.
CPT Code
98966 Telephone discussion….5-10 min. Fee: $25
98967 Telephone discussion….11-20 min. Fee: $45
98968 Telephone discussion….21-30 min. Fee: $55
Does insurance cover these visits?
Across the country, some insurance plans are beginning to cover these. You are responsible for
understanding your insurance plan. You may call them and ask if they reimburse for email visits or
telephone visits. It might be helpful to have the CPT codes listed above when you call. One insurance
company also wanted to know the diagnosis code- unfortunately, the diagnosis code is not selected until
the visit was completed and the diagnosis is made.
Why don't you do these "visits" for free?
Many practices use a nurse or medical assistant to take these types of calls or emails. They may provide
their own advice rather than your provider's advice. Often, they take your message then talk to the
provider and call you back- this is frustrating to all involved due to phone tag as well as the problem of
one person filtering the words of another. And to top it off, after they call you back, you may then have
another question and you have to go through the same process again! We don't think that is good
service. The use of an assistant also increases overhead costs and that would require me to rush
through your in-office visits so I could see more patients each day just to cover the cost of the assistant!
Lastly, you may feel your question or problem is simple, but to provide safe care and meet standards of
care, I may be required to obtain much more history and information than you realized I would need.
Explanations of medication changes or treatments take time but are important to your understanding of
the plan. I never want to rush and give you second rate care.
A Virtual Visit is a phone or email consult regarding a relatively simple problem or issue.
What kind of problems are appropriate for a Virtual Visit?
Appropriate e-mail and phone appointments might include:
- review and discussion of lab work you had done through a screening program
- review and treatment for a simple infection such as a bladder or vaginal infection that you think is
the same as one you have had previously - you have tweaked your back and want to know what the first steps in managing it are
- you have a cold and are not sure what medications or treatments would be best to use for your
symptoms - discussion on changing a medication dosage or to a generic form
- you would like us to explain something medical that you were told by another provider or about
your family member (we only speak in generalities about advice given to someone other than
yourself) - general medical guidance that does not require face-to-face interaction or evaluation.
Who can ask for a Virtual Visit?
Only patients with whom we have an established relationship should request this service.
How do I set up a Virtual Visit?
If you would like to visit by phone, call and leave a message for Carla. She will return your call and either
find a time that works to connect by phone or complete the visit at that time. She will take your credit card
information for billing at the end of the visit. If she determines that you should be seen in person, she will
ask you to schedule and you will not be charged for the phone visit. Carla seldom runs late, but please
allow up to 15 minutes leeway in case a scheduled in-office patient should need extended attention.
Carla will make every effort to notify you of delays.
To set up an email visit, simply click the link at the left. This link takes you to a secure page where you
can enter your credit card information and then enter a secure email to us. Your initial email through our
web-form is secure.
Email responses are sent as soon as possible but may take up to 24 hours. Email visits often require
you to reply to a question or two. It is best if you can be as detailed as possible in your initial email so we
have the information we need to respond to you. It is not workable to keep up with three or more back
and forth emails per "visit" for each person we are "seeing" this way!
What do Virtual Visits cost?
The fee is based on time spent. Email visits (CPT CODE 99444) are $30 for straightforward issues. If
back and forth emails are required or the issue is complex and requires quite a bit of explanation, the
charge will be $55.
If during either a phone or email visit, we determine your issue requires an office appointment, your
charge for the Virtual Visit will be applied to your office visit. Sometimes, the Virtual Visit is so simple or
short, that the charge will be waived. My general guideline for waiving the charge is when a visit involves
less than 5 minutes of my time. This is based on accepted insurance guidelines that apply to in-office
visits.
CPT Code
98966 Telephone discussion….5-10 min. Fee: $25
98967 Telephone discussion….11-20 min. Fee: $45
98968 Telephone discussion….21-30 min. Fee: $55
Does insurance cover these visits?
Across the country, some insurance plans are beginning to cover these. You are responsible for
understanding your insurance plan. You may call them and ask if they reimburse for email visits or
telephone visits. It might be helpful to have the CPT codes listed above when you call. One insurance
company also wanted to know the diagnosis code- unfortunately, the diagnosis code is not selected until
the visit was completed and the diagnosis is made.
Why don't you do these "visits" for free?
Many practices use a nurse or medical assistant to take these types of calls or emails. They may provide
their own advice rather than your provider's advice. Often, they take your message then talk to the
provider and call you back- this is frustrating to all involved due to phone tag as well as the problem of
one person filtering the words of another. And to top it off, after they call you back, you may then have
another question and you have to go through the same process again! We don't think that is good
service. The use of an assistant also increases overhead costs and that would require me to rush
through your in-office visits so I could see more patients each day just to cover the cost of the assistant!
Lastly, you may feel your question or problem is simple, but to provide safe care and meet standards of
care, I may be required to obtain much more history and information than you realized I would need.
Explanations of medication changes or treatments take time but are important to your understanding of
the plan. I never want to rush and give you second rate care.