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Emailing Your Doc Could Cost You: The Price of Digital Healthcare Chatter!

doctors looking at laptop

So, you have a question for your doctor. Maybe it’s about that weird rash that appeared after your last wilderness adventure, or perhaps you’re curious if you can substitute your morning oatmeal with chocolate cake (spoiler alert: probably not). In the past, you’d fire off a quick email, right? But hold on to your stethoscopes, folks, because sending that email might now come with a price tag that’s more than your daily latte fix.

According to a report from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), some healthcare providers are now charging for the privilege of digital chit-chat with your doc. That’s right, the next time you’re tempted to email your physician, you might want to check your bank balance first.

This whole pay-per-email saga began back in 2017 but picked up steam during the COVID-19 pandemic, much like baking sourdough bread and attending meetings in pajama pants. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and other healthcare payers expanded reimbursement for telemedicine, and voilà, your inbox is now a potential goldmine for healthcare providers.

The going rate? If a doctor spends at least 5 minutes playing keyboard warrior on your medical query, it could trigger a charge. And we’re not talking pocket change – some charges are up to $49 per e-visit. That’s almost the price of a fancy dinner, minus the candlelight and jazz music.

Positive young Indian doctor woman showing electronic content on tablet computer to senior Indian man, speaking to patient, explaining healthcare examination results

Now, I get it. Doctors are busy folks. Between diagnosing mysterious ailments and saving lives, their time is precious. Assigning a cost might keep their inboxes from overflowing like my laundry basket. But here’s the kicker: patients are left playing a guessing game of “Will This Email Cost Me?” It’s like a healthcare version of ‘Deal or No Deal,’ minus the briefcases and dramatic pauses.

The report suggests that brief e-consults are usually for things like sinusitis or that pesky urinary tract infection. But if you’re planning to write a novella about your chronic condition, you might as well schedule an office visit.

Despite the billing brouhaha, some healthcare providers, like Dr. Kevin Best from Allina Health, think it’s a win-win. It’s convenient for patients who prefer to avoid the waiting room circus and get their care in an “asynchronous way” (fancy doctor-speak for “not in real-time”). But they’re still figuring out the billing dance steps.

Positive young Indian doctor woman showing electronic content on tablet computer to senior Indian man, speaking to patient, explaining healthcare examination results

Curious if your healthcare provider is on the email-charge bandwagon? ConsumerAffairs did some digging and found that many systems using MyChart have jumped on board. 

  • Allina Health – up to $49
  • BJC Healthcare (St. Louis)
  • Northwestern Medicine (Chicago area)
  • Cleveland Clinic – free for Medicaid patients; $3 – $8 for Medicare beneficiaries without a supplemental health plan; $33 – $50 maximum charge per email exchange for patients with high deductibles on private insurance plans or without coverage.
  • Houston Methodist
  • Johns Hopkins (Baltimore)
  • Lurie Children’s Hospital (Chicago)
  • Mayo Clinic
  • Nebraska Medicine (Omaha)
  • Novant Health (Winston-Salem NC) – avg. of $10
  • Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
  • Oregon Health & Science University
  • UCSF Health (San Francisco area)
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • UW Medicine (Seattle) –  between $7 – $28 with Medicaid; $14 – $52 with Medicare; $27 – $98 for uninsured patients
  • Vanderbilt Health

So, next time you have a burning question for your doctor, you might want to weigh the cost. Is it worth a few bucks, or can it wait until your next checkup? Or, you know, you could always resort to the old-school method of actually calling them. Just be prepared to navigate the labyrinth of “Press 1 for…” prompts.

In the end, while we all appreciate the convenience of digital communication, it’s clear that healthcare email is no longer just a simple click-and-send affair. It’s now a budget line item, right next to your Netflix subscription and that gym membership you definitely use. So, email wisely, my friends. And maybe start saving up for those digital doctor chats – or, you know, just pick up the phone.