There are many ways to get help from medical professionals without seeing them in-person. Learn about virtual care so you understand your options and coverage and are ready to act when you need it.
What is virtual care?
Virtual care is a broad term that encompasses many types of care that is not accomplished in-person with a medical professional. This includes telehealth (a.k.a. telemedicine, televideo or telecare) and e-visits. Virtual care interactions may be through message, phone or video. Options and cost vary by provider and plan.
Virtual care specifics vary for Medicare members. Please see plan details.
Telehealth vs. e-visit appointment
While telehealth and e-visits are both virtual options for common, non-urgent issues, there are some differences that impact what kind of help you can receive and how it will be covered by your health plan.
Telehealth
Ongoing or new care with your provider, who may be a specialist
- Patient and provider in different locations
- Non-urgent virtual visit using video
- Real-time interaction
- Cost typically like in-person visit
E-visits
Shorter, non-urgent care with any provider
- Patient and provider in different locations
- Often not with usual primary care physician
- Using phone or electronic messaging
- Real-time or delayed interaction
- Usually a set cost, less than in-person visit
When should I use virtual care?
There are many scenarios where connecting with a medical professional virtually can be convenient.
When to use telehealth
Ongoing or new care with your provider, who may be a specialist
- Mental health visits
- Follow-up care
- Family planning
- Prescription refills
- Common illnesses or injuries
- Rash, cold, flu, UTI, etc.
List incomplete. Varies by provider.
When to use e-visits
Non-urgent care with any provider
- Prescription refills
- Common illnesses or injuries
- cold & flu
- pink eye
- skin rash
- allergies
- acne, etc.
List incomplete. Varies by provider.
Virtual care benefits
- Can take appointment from anywhere
- Can see doctors who are far away
- No close contact with others
- Can connect with a doctor quickly
- Greater doctor availability
- No transportation needed
- Less wait times
- Less time away from other priorities
- May be less expensive than in-person
How do I know if my provider offers virtual care?
Most providers offer some sort of virtual care option, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic began. The fastest way to know if a provider offers e-visits and/or telehealth is to check their website or call.
1. Check with your provider to see what they offer
Virtual care options, what they are called and how you schedule an appointment varies by provider. Check with your favorite providers to see what virtual care options are available.
Ex. North Memorial Health Clinics offer e-visits in MyChart and scheduling a primary or specialty care virtual visit in addition to booking an in-office visit.
Check with your provider to see if you can:
- Start an e-visit on demand
- Start a virtual urgent care visit on demand
- Submit a virtual message for a written answer
- Schedule an e-visit
- Schedule a primary care virtual visit
- Schedule a specialty care virtual visit
- Schedule an in-office visit
You may also be eligible for Doctor On Demand® (an independent company providing a variety of telehealth services) or another national provider.
Bookmark whatever virtual care options you find for future use.
2. Confirm how you are covered for virtual care
Coverage for any medical procedure, including appointments via virtual care, varies by health plan. Since Blue Cross offers many health plans, it is important to understand what your specific plan covers and what treatment choices, such as out-of-network providers or non-covered services, may lead to more personal expenses. The first place you should look is your benefit booklet.
Find your benefit booklet for coverage details
- Log into the member portal (employer, individual & family plans)
Minnesota Health Care programs log into your account - Select "Coverage" and download your benefit booklet
- Search for items like "e-visits" and "telemedicine services"
Confirm your provider is in-network
It is important that you always confirm a provider is in-network before an appointment, to keep your costs down. You can use our Find a Doctor tool to find providers and confirm they are in your plan's network.
Contact us if you do not find what you need or want additional confirmation.
How much does virtual care cost?
Cost can vary by plan and provider. It is always valuable to confirm the details before making an appointment.
In general, e-visits will list a fixed price before scheduling and are less than telehealth and in-person visits.
Individual and family plans
Many plans offer unlimited e-visits with no member cost share if the provider is in-network.
Telehealth is usually the same cost as an in-person appointment.
Minnesota Health Care Programs plans
Each Minnesota Health Care Program plan has different coverage details.
Please select your plan and visit its detail page to learn about virtual care.
Medicare Advantage plans
Your coverage is the same for in-person and virtual care.
Whether you receive virtual care from your current provider or from Doctor On Demand, the same member cost-sharing applies: $0 copay for primary care and $50/$30/$20 for specialty care, depending on your plan.
Doctor On Demand is the only independent company providing telehealth services covered under your plan. Other companies, such as Virtuwell or Teladoc, are not covered.
Employer-provided plans
Details vary by employer. Many plans offer 5 no member cost share e-visits for in-network providers.
Telehealth is usually the same cost as an in-person appointment and e-visits are typically less expensive than an office visit. Virtual care providers, including Doctor On Demand, will often highlight the cost at the point of scheduling. If you have any concerns, you can ask the provider before you meet.