Implementation of telemedicine services has gone rather smoothly and has been very well received in the past 2 weeks, so we are now beginning to schedule some annual well visits ("check-ups") via telemedicine. Ages that generally don't require vaccines or a comprehensive exam at their check-up can be scheduled for telemedicine. These are typically at 2.5 years, 3 years, and 5-10 years of age. For these visits, parents will be asked to provide a height and weight to the best of their abilities, and patients will be asked to have a brief follow up visit in a few weeks or months to get vital signs, do vision and hearing screens, and have a physical exam, since this will likely be needed for school and camp forms.
We are continuing to schedule in-office visits at ages where vaccinations are standard, including those 2 years of age and under, 4 years, 11-12 years, and 16-18 years old. We do also recommend 13-15 year old patients come to the office for physical exams to assess growth, puberty development, mental health screening, and other important adolescent health topics. We still feel comfortable doing check-ups on site as we see only well visits in the morning, we have strong infection control practices in place, and the Cabin John Mall building is essentially closed aside from a few essential businesses, like ours.
Telemedicine appointments are treated identically to in-office visits and are billed to your insurance accordingly. Copays and deductibles apply as per usual. Not all insurances are reimbursing equitably at this point, so you may want to check with our billing department when scheduling.
If you would like to request a telemedicine check-up for an age not recommended above, please call the office and ask to speak to your regular physician before scheduling.