CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) INFO AND TELEMEDICINE
As people practice social distancing and businesses that do not provide emergency services have closed in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, we want you to know that your health is still a priority for us. While we are limiting our office visits to urgent visits only, we are implementing a telehealth program so that we may continue to serve our patients during this difficult time.
If you have a non-critical currently scheduled appointment, you will be receiving a call from our staff to either postpone your appointment until it is safe to come to the office or to change your visit to a telehealth visit. Many of the services that we provide can be performed through live audio-visual communication, such as FaceTime or telemedicine sites such as doxy.me. Some visits can even be performed by telephone call, email or patient portal messaging.
If you feel that you have an urgent issue that needs to be addressed by Dr. Buckel or Edgar Peithman, PA-C, please consider one of our telemedicine options. You may contact us in two ways to initiate a telemedicine visit. (1) You may contact the office directly and leave a message with your concerns and desire to initiate a telemedicine visit. (2) You may access the patient portal via this website under "Patient Portal". If you have not accessed the portal previously, please contact us with your email address and we will forward the security code.
We will first screen to see if the visit can be completed remotely. If possible, we will set up an appointment for you to video chat with your provider. In addition to video visits, we have remote check-in appointments available. If you have an issue for which you are unsure if a visit is needed, you may initiate communication with your provider electronically through a telephone call or patient portal message. Your provider will determine if a video or in-person visit must be scheduled.
You will need to consent verbally to using telemedicine options such as virtual check-ins and your provider must document that consent in your medical record before you use this service. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most insurance carriers are covering this service but deductibles and co pays may still apply. For example, Aetna is offering a $0 copay for telemedicine visits for the next 90 days, until June 4, 2020. Under a new waiver regarding COVID-19, Medicare can pay for office, hospital, and other visits furnished via telehealth across the country and including in patient’s home starting March 6, 2020.
We are working to implement measures to maintain social distancing and keep everyone safe during this time. Please stay safe and healthy during this time
