With the challenges from COVID-19 many therapists are turning to e-visits as a solution to communicate with patients. But, are they taking the right steps to get paid and utilize e-visit capabilities the right way? Here are some questions answered that can provide some light on how to best proceed with e-visits and make them a success during a challenging time for practices dealing with cancellations from social distancing.
What is an e-visit?
An e-visit is a non-face-to-face patient initiated digital communication that provides a service that would have been conducted at the clinic. It is the online exchange of therapy information that is made between the patient and therapist where an evaluation is provided leading to a diagnosis and treatment.
Is an e-visit considered to be a telehealth service?
An e-visit is not considered to be a telehealth service. It is considered to be an online exchange in regard to medical information formed between the patient and the therapist.
Can a therapist bill for an e-visit?
As detailed by the APTA, a therapist can bill using these following HCPSC codes:
- G2061: Qualified nonphysician health care professional online assessment and management service, for an established patient, for up to seven days; cumulative time during the seven days, 5-10 minutes.
- G2062: Qualified nonphysician health care professional online assessment and management service, for an established patient, for up to seven days; cumulative time during the seven days, 11-20 minutes.
- G2063: Qualified nonphysician health care professional online assessment and management service, for an established patient, for up to seven days; cumulative time during the seven days, 21 or more minutes.
How can a patient request an e-visit?
A patient can request an e-visit as they would a normal visit, however, it must be conducted through a patient portal which is unfortunately loosely defined at this point in time. This patient portal should provide a secure online platform that allows patients a convenient way to communicate and access personal health information needed while allowing for communication to set up and request an e-visit.
Can a new patient use e-visits with a therapist?
No, a new patient cannot utilize e-visit capabilities. Only existing patients can use e-visit capabilities with a therapist.
What is an example of an e-visit?
A patient contacts a physical therapist through their patient portal in regard to having questions or difficulties in performing an exercise task for their rehab. The physical therapist responds with a solution that modifies and updates the exercise with an updated version through the patient portal.
Contact us here or schedule a demo to learn more about e-visits and how Practice Pro can guide your therapy practice through the process with our knowledge, expertise and EMR software solutions.