NCHC is using Athena for telehealth (telemedicine) visits.
After scheduling your appointment, you should receive a meeting invite in your email.
Telehealth appointments with a provider, including behavioral health specialists, will be billed to your insurance just like an in-person visit, unless you tell us in advance that you are paying “out of pocket.”
You will need to consent to a telehealth appointment, including visits that happen over the phone only (no video).
Vermont law prevents anyone from recording telehealth visits in any format.
For more information about telehealth, please see below.
Information and Consent for Telemedicine Visits
What is telemedicine?
- Telemedicine is a way to meet with your healthcare providers without going into their office.
- You can talk to your provider from your home or any other place you want.
How do I use telemedicine?
- You talk to your provider by phone, computer, or tablet.
- For some visits, you can use video so you and your provider can see each other.
Who will my visit be with?
- Your provider will identify him/herself including their credentials if they are unknown to you.
How does telemedicine help me?
- You don’t have to leave your house to see your provider. It may save you travel time and cost.
- You won’t risk getting sick from other people. This will protect you from flu, colds, Covid-19 and other illnesses.
Can telemedicine be bad for me?
- You and your provider won’t be in the same room, so it will feel different than an office visit.
- Your provider may not be able to examine you in the same way as at an office visit and cannot touch your body. Some forms of telemedicine have been used and studied for decades, some are much more recent. If you have concerns about your provider not interacting physically, you can request an office visit instead.
- After the telemedicine visit, your provider may decide you still need a follow-up visit. We use telemedicine when we think it will work for your condition, but we cannot guarantee that we can address all of your needs in this way.
- Technical problems may interrupt or stop a video visit before you are done. A provider may finish the appointment using the phone or, if video is still needed, reschedule.
Will my telemedicine visit be private?
- We will not record sounds or video from your visits with your provider.
- If people are near you, they may hear something you did not want them to know. You should be in a private place, so other people cannot hear you and so you and your provider can hear each other.
- Your provider will tell you if someone else from their office can hear or see you.
- We use tools that are made to protect your privacy and meet federal law for keeping your information safe.
- If you use the Internet for telemedicine, use a connection that is private and secure.
What if I want an office visit, not a telemedicine visit?
- If it is ok for your health condition, you can choose whether you want a visit in our office, a visit using a computer / tablet, or talking on the phone.
- You can tell our office if you want an appointment in the office not a telemedicine visit.
- For now, because of flu and Covid-19, our office may suggest telemedicine for some visits. You may also have to wait longer for an appointment in the office.
What if I try telemedicine and don’t like it?
- You can stop using telemedicine any time, even during a telemedicine visit. You may still have to pay for the visit.
- You can still get an office visit if you no longer want a telemedicine visit. Your appointments may not be at exactly the same time as your originally scheduled telemedicine visits but we will reschedule as soon as possible.
- If you decide you do not want to use telemedicine:
- Tell your provider during the telemedicine visit, ORCall your provider’s office and say you want to stop, OR
- sign into your patient portal and send a “Billing and Payments” message to your practice.
How much does a telemedicine visit cost?
- What you pay depends on your insurance and the types of services being provided.
- We will bill your insurance for the service provided unless you tell us in advance that you will be paying “out of pocket” and you pay for the service in full before or at the time of service.
- A telemedicine visit will not cost any more than an office visit, but it may cost the same.
- If your provider decides you also need an office visit, you may have to pay for both visits.
- Some insurance companies may not pay for all telemedicine visits, like those over the phone.
- An audio-only telemedicine visit is a particular type of telephone call – if you have any confusion about what type of phone calls are billed as an office visit, please talk to our practice for clarification.
Do I have to agree?
No. Only agree if you want to use telemedicine. You are never obligated to use telemedicine. We offer this option as a service to our patients and it is entirely up to you if you want to use it.
What does it mean if I agree?
If you agree to schedule a telemedicine appointment, you are saying that:
- You received information about telemedicine.
- We answered your questions.
- You want a telemedicine visit.
We may ask you to sign a paper copy of this document or we may talk about this with you before or during your first telemedicine visit and ask if you agree. Please tell the office where you get your care if you would like a copy of this form or download the Telehealth/Telemedicine Patient Notice here.
