How to schedule a telehealth appointment

If you’re unable to attend an in-person doctor’s appointment — or simply prefer the convenience of doing so from home — telehealth can help. By scheduling a telehealth appointment, you can arrange a virtual meeting with your doctor or another medical professional.

Here’s how to prepare and what to expect from your telehealth appointment.

1. How to know if telehealth is right for you

Telehealth isn’t always a perfect fit depending on the reason for your visit. Consider a telehealth appointment if you’re visiting for:

Mental health services
General medical visits (flu symptoms, allergies, sinus infection, etc.)
Specialist consultations
Prescription management/updates
General health advice/counseling

If you’ll be talking about anything sensitive or personal during your telehealth appointment, make sure you have a private place to take the call — even if that means sitting in the car.

2. Schedule an appointment

Most doctors will offer telehealth scheduling on their websites. If you’re seeing a new doctor for the first time, you should call the office directly. They may prefer that you come in for an in-person appointment, and they will likely need your insurance and personal information.

As your appointment gets closer, your doctor’s office will typically send regular updates and reminds, as well as information on how to join the appointment — whether that means visiting a specific website or downloading an app on your phone.

3. How to prepare

Preparing for a telehealth appointment has plenty of similarities to a regular appointment. You’ll need a record of the medications you’re taking, a list of any symptoms or worries you want to talk about, and information like your weight, temperature, and blood pressure — in case your doctor requests it.

You should also make sure you have a strong internet connection, no or low levels of background noise, and minimal distractions.

4. Join your telehealth appointment

Shortly before your scheduled appointment time, your doctor’s office will send you an email or text invitation. This will contain the link to your appointment, as well as instructions for joining and anything else you’ll need to know.

If you need to install anything beforehand — like a different browser or a specific application — your doctor will let you know in advance.

5. Paying for your visit

Before your appointment, you should make sure that telehealth is covered by your insurance. Even if telehealth ends up costing a bit more than an in-person visit the convenience — as well as money saved on travel — can make it worth it.

After your appointment, your doctor’s office may request payment information over the phone, or simply use a card on record. If requested, they may also send you a paper bill in the mail.