Telehealth is a way for you to have a visit with your doctors and other health care providers through video conferencing using a smartphone, tablet, computer, or other technology without being physically present with your provider.

Many HMSA participating providers offer telehealth visits. If you have questions about what telehealth options are available to you, please check with your primary care provider or other established provider. Your PCP will give you higher quality care because they know and understand your complete health history and can be with you every step of the way. Your PCP can coordinate all your care, whether it’s from them, a specialist, a hospital, or another health care provider.

HMSA members also have access to HMSA’s Online Care, HMSA’s telehealth platform, which is a benefit of all fully insured HMSA commercial, Medicare Advantage, and QUEST Integration plans.

• A telehealth visit requires interactive audio and video telecommunications and is meant to replace an in-person visit.
• A phone visit, or audio-only visit, does not include a video component.
• A virtual check-in is a brief (five to 10 minute) check-in with a patient by telephone or other telecommunication device to determine if an office visit or other service is needed.
• An e-visit occurs when a patient uses an online patient portal to communicate with a doctor. This usually includes setting up an account and logging into an app or website using their doctor’s instructions.
• Remote patient monitoring is a digital method of monitoring acute and chronic conditions. For example, remote patient monitoring can be used to monitor a patient’s oxygen saturation levels using pulse oximetry.
• Refer to your plan benefits or check with your doctor about what telehealth options are available.

Telehealth visits require a patient and provider to have both audio and video capabilities and usually require a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Stable internet and broadband connection are also needed.

Talk to your doctor about which platform to use.

HMSA’s Online Care® is one of several telehealth options that you can use to talk to a doctor. To make sure that you’re using a telehealth platform that's appropriate for you, please check with your doctor.

Phone visits are not considered telehealth and aren’t a benefit for commercial, EUTF, and HMSA Federal Plan 87 plan members. HMSA will continue to cover audio-only visits for certain mental health conditions until Dec. 31, 2025.

For Medicare Advantage members, phone and audio-only visits are covered for some services through Dec. 31, 2024.

For QUEST Integration members, audio-only visits are covered for selected health care services through Dec. 31, 2025.

Check with your doctor about what telehealth and audio-only options are available for you.

Depending on your plan, you may have a copayment or coinsurance. For commercial plans and some self-insured plans, regular plan benefits apply for telehealth visits.

Medicare Advantage and QUEST Integration members will continue to have no copayment as part of their 2023 plan benefits.

Please check with your doctor about what telehealth options are available.

Please check with your doctor about what telehealth options are available to you.

No, as long as the provider is participating with HMSA for their plan type. However, specialist referrals are still required for some plans such as HMO and QUEST Integration plans.

Telehealth, in general, will allow you to connect through videoconferencing with your doctor for a health care visit. Online Care is a telehealth platform that is sponsored by HMSA, but many doctors use other telehealth platforms. By using Online Care, you can connect with an urgent care doctor 24/7, but it may not be your provider.

Yes, they can access HMSA’s Online Care if they’re added to a parent’s or guardian’s registered account.

1. Log on to your Online Care account.
2. Select Account.
3. Select Profile.
4. Click Add My Children under My Children section.
5. Enter your child’s information as it appears on their HMSA membership card, select whether they have health insurance, and select Add Profile.
6. If your child is the primary subscriber for their plan, enter their health insurance information as it appears on their HMSA membership card. Then click Add Profile.
7. If your child isn’t the primary subscriber, enter the primary subscriber’s first and last names, birth date, and your child’s relationship to the subscriber. Then click Add Profile.

Members under 18 years old can also be added to a parent or guardian’s Online Care account at the time of their visit.

1. Log on to your Online Care account.
2. Start a visit with a provider.
3. Select who the visit is for. If your child isn’t listed, select Another Child and click Continue.
4. Enter your child’s first and last names as they appear on their HMSA membership card, birth date, and gender. Then click Continue.
5. If your child is the primary subscriber for their plan, enter their health insurance information as it appears on their HMSA membership card. Then click Continue.
6. If your child isn’t the primary subscriber, enter the primary subscriber’s first and last names, birth date, and your child’s relationship to the primary subscriber. Then click Continue.

Teledentistry is a benefit for all fully insured HMSA commercial plan members and individual plan members who have an HMSA dental plan. There are no copayments, coinsurances, or deductibles for this service when seeing a participating dentist.

Teledentistry is a way for participating dentists to provide emergency assistance to you over the phone. This can include patient care, advice, education, and more. With this benefit, you can call your dentist to discuss your dental issue and get information and advice on how to manage it. Learn more about teledentistry