Quality healthcare,
wherever you need it.

A guide to virtual care

What is virtual care?

Virtual care allows patients to have a remote appointment with a healthcare provider through their smartphone, tablet, computer or other internet-enabled device.

 

Patients have long suffered the burden of long waiting times, large distances to travel, lack of available specialists, potential exposure to infection in waiting rooms and the need to take significant time out of their busy lives for an appointment with the doctor.

 

Virtual care brings accessibility, convenience and safety to a meeting with the doctor.

Is a virtual appointment as good as seeing the doctor in person?

In most cases, yes.

 

Diagnosing and treating a vast range of health conditions is achievable through virtual care. Doctors can assess symptoms or concerns through a video or audio visit while being as thorough as they would be in person. In some cases, doctors may request additional photographs to assist with their examination. Rocket Doctor is also equipped with a range of advanced at-home medical devices that can be delivered to a patient’s home in order to support a diagnosis or monitor an ongoing condition.

 

Of course, there are some instances that require an in-person visit to a healthcare provider or an immediate presentation to an Emergency Department. These include things such as serious injury, concerns for heart attack, stroke, sudden shortness of breath and other conditions that may require immediate scan or physical examination. Rocket Doctor’s Patient Care Coordinators are specially trained to identify instances that are not deemed suitable for a virtual appointment, and our doctors may also refer patients for a physical appointment in the event that they believe a physical visit is in the best interests of their patient.

How do I prepare for my virtual visit?

Take some notes
It’s a good idea to write down the main things you want to talk about and if anything is worrying you. Note the symptoms you are experiencing, any medication you are currently taking and anything else you think may be important to tell the doctor.

 

Find a space
Find a quiet, private space where you are comfortable to talk and you won’t be disturbed. Make sure you have a stable internet connection.

 

Rest assured
Remember that you’re in good hands. All doctors practicing medicine on Rocket Doctor are fully licensed, certified and trained to provide the most comprehensive care for all of our patients.

Frequently Asked Questions

Click the ‘See a doctor’ link and fill out the details in the short appointment form. Our patient care team will contact you shortly afterwards to arrange your appointment with the doctor.

 

Be sure to enter your contact details correctly, keep your phone off silent if possible and make sure that your phone allows calls from an unknown number or blocked caller ID if your appointment is a phone call.

A stable internet connection is required for a video appointment. If you have been disconnected from the session, attempt to reconnect as soon as possible. You can also request to have an audio/telephone conversation with the doctor however, in a lot of cases, the doctor’s assessment may rely on visuals to better understand the conditions.

 

Please make sure that the phone allows calls from an unknown number or blocked caller ID to make sure that the doctor will be able to reach you.

Rocket Doctor appointments are covered by Medicare, Medicaid (Medi-Cal), Covered California and most other public and private insurers in California. In some cases, payment and subsequent reimbursement from your insurance provider may be required. The cost of a primary care visit is $79 and specialist appointments are $0-$200 depending on specialist type and insurance.

Rocket Doctor will schedule your appointment with a doctor at the earliest time that suits you. 99% of our appointments are scheduled within 24 hours. In some cases, it may take longer than this due to availability.

A Rocket Doctor physician licensed and located in your state will speak to you where you can discuss any symptoms or concerns that you are feeling. The doctor will assess you and put together the best care plan for you. If a prescription is required, arrangements will be made to send it to a pharmacy of your choice.

While your appointment does not have to be a video call, we strongly advise for all sessions to use video whenever possible. When seeing a physician, a great deal of information is provided simply by them getting to look at how you are interacting, breathing, sitting and your overall comfort levels. It is often important for your doctor to see your facial expressions to better understand how you’re feeling.

 

We understand that sometimes a video call might not be preferred, particularly if the condition is one of a sensitive nature. You can request for a phone (audio) conversation if this is your preference.

 

For video appointments, please join your session 5-10 minutes early to test your audio and video and ensure they (along with your connection) are working before your doctor joins the visit.

Yes, you can. If the doctor’s assessment results in a new prescription or prescription refill, Rocket Doctor will arrange for that prescription to be sent to the pharmacy of your choice where you can collect it.

Per California legislation, prescriptions are sent using either an integrated e-formulary, or in cases where a pharmacy is not yet participating with the e-formulary via electronic fax to a pharmacy of your choice.

Prescriptions are usually sent to the pharmacy right after the appointment. You can contact the pharmacy directly to confirm if it’s ready for pickup.

 

In the unlikely circumstance that you have not received your prescription within 1-2 hours of your appointment, please email [email protected] for assistance and/or call (844)-996-3763

Rocket Doctor has a network of certified family and emergency physicians that are trained to help patients with mental health concerns. You can request to speak to a doctor about mental health when you book your appointment. We also have a number of psychiatrists that practice on Rocket Doctor’s platform. If the family/emergency physician who sees you identifies a psychiatrist would be an important team member to assist with your care, they will suggest making a referral. You can also directly request a referral to a specialist when you speak to the doctor.

You can request to see any physician that practices on Rocket Doctor’s platform as long as they are licensed to practice in your state. However, appointments will be subject to their specific availability. In general, we do encourage patients to see the same physician in order to assist with longitudinal care.

 

You can also request for a doctor of a specific gender, clinical specialization or language. Speak with one of our Patient Care Coordinators to help determine which physician is right for you.

We have built our cloud-based technology platform in a way that enables each doctor to view the records of all of your previous visits with Rocket Doctor in order to assist with the best possible care. While each doctor may not have time to review these records in-depth in advance of your visit, the system ensures that access to the information that will assist in your care as streamlined and efficient as possible.

Yes! We are one of the only virtual-care providers that accepts patients with Medicare, Medicaid/Medi-Cal and Covered California with no charge to the patient. If you are unsure if you’re covered, you can speak with one of our Patient Care Coordinators to verify your insurance, and book your visit today.

Rocket Doctor is not currently covered by all commercial insurance plans, however at the low rate of $79 for a primary care visit, the cost is, in many cases, substantially less than deductibles and marginally more than co-pays. It is also much more straightforward to manage than direct billing.

 

Following payment for your appointment our team will issue you a formal receipt for the visit that you can submit to your insurer for possible reimbursement.

Healthcare is a highly regulated industry, and MDs can only see patients who are physically within the state that they are licensed to practice medicine. If you are currently outside the state of California, you cannot see an MD using Rocket Doctor.

Rocket Doctor Accessibility Statement

Rocket Doctor is committed to digital accessibility, and to conforming to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level A and AA and complying with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) effective communication requirements, and other applicable regulations.

To accomplish this, we have partnered with eSSENTIAL Accessibility to administer our accessibility program and oversee its governance. Their accessibility program evaluates our digital products on an ongoing basis in accordance with best practices and is supported by a diverse team of accessibility professionals, including users of assistive technologies. The platform, moreover, goes beyond minimum compliance requirements by making an assistive CX technology application available to customers who have trouble typing, gesturing, moving a mouse, or reading. The application is free to download and it incorporates tools such as mouse and keyboard replacements, voice recognition, speech enablement, hands-free/touch-free navigation, and more.

We want to hear from you if you encounter any accessibility barriers on our digital properties. Please contact our Customer Support at [email protected].