Telehealth has its perks and place but make sure you ask about ALL the fees and confirm insurance coverage, so you don't get hit with an unexpected bill.
We all know the feeling of being ill and not having enough money to get care. That's why it is so important for you, as well as to your family members who may also need medical attention at some point in their lives (especially children), make sure that any upcoming visits will be covered by health insurance or else uncovered fees could result from an unexpected expenses.
Attached are a couple examples of "facility" fees charged when the patient didn't enter the facility. There are expenses in everything in life; nothing is for free, but these charges are unacceptable. Make sure you ask what the entire bill will be, so there are no surprises.
Unfortunately some healthcare providers are taking advantage of telehealth and Covid-19 work around.
Finally, telehealth has it's place and can be very convenient, especially if it's routine care, but things can get missed so choose them wisely and when in doubt go in person.
Colorado Mom Hit With $847 Facility Fee for Son's Virtual Doc Visit
— Colorado Children's Hospital rep says same fee is charged for telehealth and in-person visits
by Jennifer Henderson, Enterprise & Investigative Writer, MedPage TodayJanuary 25, 2022
A Colorado mom got quite the shock when she received a hefty "facility fee" bill for her toddler's telehealth appointment.
Brittany Tesso said she had already paid a bill from Children's Hospital Colorado for $676.86 for the 2-hour virtual visit for her 3-year-old son to determine if he required speech therapy, according to a report by KDVR, a Colorado TV station.
But 2 weeks later, she received a separate bill for an additional $847.35, leading Tesso to tell the station: "I would've gone elsewhere if they had told me there was an $850 fee, essentially for a Zoom call.
Yep. Nothing shocks me.
That's just crazy. SMH. Can't believe they would do that just for a few minute conversation. I think people would ask right away, at least if the company takes insurance, it's a Drs visit, after all, and should be treated as such. That sounds almost criminal/illegal that they would charge you those kind of prices just to be seen at the Dr virtually. You're not at their office, they shouldn't be charging those kind of prices. However I get their point, they have to make money, too. However the least they can do is let you know up front. What if you can no longer afford to see the Dr because of these outrageous fees?