Effective 01/01/2025
We are dedicated to offering accessible and convenient care through our secure patient portal. This tool allows patients to ask general questions, seek non-urgent advice, and discuss ongoing health concerns with our Nurse Triage Team.
In some cases, your inquiry may require input from one of our providers, involving a higher level of medical decision-making. When this occurs, the interaction may qualify as an e-visit (web encounter), which is billed in accordance with our standard billing policies.
We encourage you to continue using the patient portal for its convenience and accessibility. If you have any concerns or questions about your care or this policy, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
What types of messages may incur a fee?
- Messages requiring significant medical decision-making, equivalent to an in-office visit, will be billed to your insurance provider under applicable CPT codes:
- 99421 (5-10 minutes)
- 99422 (11-20 minutes)
- 99423 (21+ minutes)
Exemptions (Messages that will not be billed):
- Appointment scheduling
- Prescription refill requests
- Billing inquiries
- Messages initiated by the care team
- Follow-up questions within 7 days of a prior appointment
Service Requirements for Billing
To ensure transparency, e-visits will only be billed if all the following conditions are met:
- The message is initiated by the patient.
- The patient is an established patient in our practice.
- Medical decision-making by a qualified healthcare professional is required.
- The inquiry is unrelated to an office visit within the past 7 days, and no follow-up visit (in-person or telehealth) occurs within 7 days of the message.
If you have any questions about this policy or your billing statement, please contact our office. We are here to help ensure you receive the highest quality care while maintaining clarity and fairness in our billing practices.