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Digital Health

Connect Medical Advice Messaging

girl using her phone
girl using her phone

Connect Medical Advice Messaging

Connect messaging provides an easy and convenient way to communicate with your provider. Through this service, you can send messages to your provider and receive medical advice from the comfort of your home.

 

Billing for Medical Advice Messaging

Why we bill

Virtual interactions have become a standard of health care. We dedicate significant time to answering messages that require clinical insight. Messages that involve extensive review and expertise may be billed according to your insurance policy’s benefits.

Payment information

While many messaging services will remain free of charge, some interactions may be billed to your insurance, particularly those that reflect the provider's time and expertise needed to respond adequately.

Billing depends on your insurance plan, and we encourage you to contact your insurance provider to determine coverage for this service. The majority of messages are not subject to billing.

Insurance coverage for messaging services may vary. You may be fully covered or responsible for a copay, coinsurance, and/or deductible. Please contact your insurer for details on out-of-pocket costs, and provide them with CPT codes 99421, 99422, and 99423 if requested. For Medicare, it is recommended that you verify if HCPCS code G2012 is covered.

Billable messages may include:

  • Changes in medications
  • Reports of new symptoms
  • Changes to a long-term condition
  • Long-term condition care check-ups
  • Requests for medical forms
  • Matters needing extended provider expertise and attention
Billable messages
Non-billable messages

Non-billable messages may include:

  • Scheduling an appointment
  • Prescription refill requests
  • Questions leading to an appointment.
  • Follow-up questions within seven days of a previous appointment
  • Follow-up care check-ins post-procedure
  • Brief updates to your provider

Connect messaging is utilized for non-urgent issues.

Messages are only answered between business hours on weekdays.

Replies may take up to two days. If you need an immediate answer, please call your practice. If this is a medical emergency, please call 911.

For more complicated issues, schedule a video or office visit, especially if your questions require detailed review of your medications or medical history.

For convenience, medical advice by Connect messaging is available to established patients with clinicians you have seen before to answer simple, straightforward questions about your care.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your provider will determine whether the message should be billed, based on the time and effort it takes to provide a thorough response.

As with any medical care, costs vary depending on the amount and level of expertise required to ensure the best possible treatment and patient outcome, as well as each patient’s insurance coverage.

No, you would only be billed for medical advice messages that you initiate. You will not be billed when your clinician sends you a message asking for information or giving you an update on a topic.

Requests for referrals to support services (e.g., physical therapy, nutrition services, etc.) that are related to an existing treatment plan would not be billed.

No, messages directly sent between an adolescent and a provider, without the involvement of a parent or guardian, will not be billed.

Only new, complex messages that take significant time and medical expertise to respond to, including detailed reviews of your medical record, adjustments to your treatment plan, may be billed. If your message is about the same topic within seven days, additional billing will not occur.

If you are having a medical emergency, please go to the nearest medical center or call 911. You may also call your physician to arrange an in-person visit or video visit.

Messages regarding a concern addressed within seven days of a visit will not be billed.

Schedule a Telehealth Appointment 

Outside of scheduling on the NYP Connect app, you can schedule an appointment through our online portal or by calling a doctor’s office. Use our search to Find A Doctor who best suits your telehealth needs.