Before Your Telehealth Visit at Center for Advanced Surgery: A Practical Checklist
Telehealth visits go smoother when you know what to expect. This checklist helps you set up your Center for Advanced Surgery virtual appointment, avoid last-minute scrambling, and figure out if telehealth is right for your situation.
At Center for Advanced Surgery, telehealth starts when you request a virtual appointment. Your provider sends a calendar invite with a link to digital registration forms - think of those forms as the front door. Complete them, then use the link in your invite to meet your provider online at the scheduled time.
Tip: Keep an eye out for the calendar invite and complete the digital registration forms before your appointment time so you’re not scrambling right before the visit.
Center for Advanced Surgery describes its telehealth service as HIPAA-compliant virtual care. Got questions about who can access your session or how your information is handled? Ask during scheduling or at the start of your visit.
Before your appointment, confirm how your telehealth visit will be billed. Center for Advanced Surgery notes that some insurance plans cover telehealth while others don't - so coverage can vary even for the same type of visit.
The practice also mentions that as of March 6, 2020, Medicare was paying providers across the U.S. for telehealth services during the COVID-19 crisis. Since that policy was time-specific, verify current Medicare telehealth rules before counting on them for coverage.
Do this before the visit: Confirm telehealth coverage with your insurer and double-check expected costs with the practice so there are no surprises.
Telehealth has limits. Center for Advanced Surgery is clear: if you're having a medical emergency, go to your local urgent care or hospital emergency department instead.
Warning: Don’t use telehealth for emergencies - go to the nearest emergency department or use emergency services.
Center for Advanced Surgery lists GIST among the topics and services available through telehealth. Virtual visits work well for starting conversations, reviewing information, or planning next steps. During your appointment, ask which parts of your GIST care can happen virtually and what requires an in-person visit.
- ✓ Can my GIST evaluation, management, or follow-up be handled through telehealth, or do I need an in-office visit?
- ✓ Will I need imaging, labs, or other testing that has to be done in person?
- ✓ For next steps, will my follow-ups be virtual, in-office, or a mix of both?
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