Coronavirus (COVID-19) & Telehealth

We wish you and your clients health and safety during this period of uncertainty. We have put together a guide on how you can leverage your Healthie telehealth and client engagement platform to provide client care during this time.

We hope this guide to navigating Telehealth & Coronavirus is useful to you, as you navigate this changing climate and its impact on your business.

Part 1: Communicating with your clients

We recommend communicating with your clients as quickly as possible to update them on changes in business/cancellation policies, your availability, and how you are accessible to them

• Send clients a Message Blast (bcc chat message) - this will initiate a chat within Healthie for clients to see. Clients will get an e-mail and push notification that you have sent them a new message.
  • You can also download a list of client names & e-mails if you’d like to send a general announcement via e-mail
• Announce that you're now offering virtual services. You can leverage our Telehealth Media Kit for social posts that you can use across your social media platforms. 
• Update your email confirmations & reminders within the platform (e.g., to let clients know to reschedule if they are experiencing any symptoms)
• Add a COVID-19 Screening Tool to your intake flow, to screen for client symptoms prior to a session. Looking for a template? E-mail hello@gethealthie.com and our team will add this to your account. 

Here is sample text you can modify: 

“In light of recent development of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in our region, as of March 14th, we will be conducting all consultations virtually via phone or Healthie Telehealth until further notice. Our office has made this decision out of an abundance of caution and to keep our community safe. We urge our clients to practice good hygiene, maintain healthy habits, and stay vigilant. If you have any questions, please message me. If you have an in-person appointment scheduled, we will be sending you instructions to access our session virtually.”

Part 2: Introducing & Expanding Telehealth services in your care

Here are some resources to help you launch and expand telehealth (virtual care) services:

Resources for your business

• Getting started with Telehealth
  • Telehealth Guide for Nutrition Professionals
  • How to Price Telehealth Services
• Create a Telehealth Session in Healthie
• Having your clients sign a Telehealth Consent Form
  • You may want clients to sign a Telehealth Consent Form. Here is a sample template you can use (we recommend consulting with an attorney to confirm this will work for your business)
    • Healthie-Sample-Telehealth-Informed-Consent-Form-(1).docx
  • You can add this form to an intake flow for clients to complete. Clients who are in an existing group associated with an intake flow will automatically be prompted to complete this form when you add this form to your intake flow.   
  • You can also request that a client complete this form "ad hoc" without adding it to your intake flow. Your client will receive an e-mail prompting them to complete this form. 
• How to Set up a telehealth only appointment type / package
  • Step 1: Create an appointment type called “Telehealth Session” and ensure that Video call (and/or phone call) are the selected Contact Types
  • Step 2: Create a Client Package called “Telehealth Session” and include 1+ Telehealth Sessions
  • Step 3: Generate a link for clients to sign up for a virtual session
• How to change the location of your session from in-person to virtual
  • If you have upcoming appointments in-person on your calendar, you can change the contact type within the Appointment to be “Healthie Telehealth”- your clients will see a blue bar appear 10 minutes before a scheduled session, and will be able to join remotely
    • You may need to edit the appointment type first, to ensure that “Healthie telehealth” is selected

Resources for your clients

• Instructions for clients to access a telehealth session
• Customizable document on introducing Healthie to your clients

Part 3: Ways to engage with your clients virtually

Providing virtual care can extend beyond phone or video sessions. We recommend taking advantage of other features available in your Healthie account to continue to support and engage with your clients. Here are some additional virtual offerings available through Healthie: 

1. Create an online wellness program
2. Host a webinar for prospective and existing clients
3. Connect with clients via Chat using one-on-one and group capabilities 
4. Offer additional accountability/support services by commenting on food journal & workout logs
5. E-Share handouts & resources for ongoing client education

Part 4: Insurance reimbursement for telehealth

Many insurance companies are covering services conducted via Telehealth at an unprecedented scale and expanding Parity Laws. Here are some steps to take:

• Call each insurance company you are credentialed with to confirm that telehealth services are reimbursable (by client)
  • You’ll need to specify a client’s insurance plan, CPT-codes, and other information required for a typical eligibility check
  • There will be dependencies based on: State, Physician approval required, ICD-10 diagnoses, etc.
• Use a telehealth place of service code when completing the CMS 1500 form (E.g., Location 02 - Telehealth) - in almost all instances, the rest of the CMS 1500 form will be the same as a session conducted in person.
• Other resources:
  • Insurance Billing Codes for Dietitians
  • Telehealth Services for Nutrition Practice

We are optimistic that one long-term benefit of this shift towards virtual care, happening today out of necessity, will only strengthen the core foundation of having telehealth reimbursement and coverage for wellness services mainstream in our country. 

We wish you and your clients the best during this period of uncertainty. 

We’re here to help - please e-mail us: hello@gethealthie.com if you have any account-specific questions we can assist with, and join our Daily Live Webinars on Telehealth & Healthie