Telehealth &
In-Person Appointments

 

Updated 2/25/2022. This page is updated regularly.

As Oregon state mandates have changed, insurance company policies regarding telehealth appointments could have changed. Please check with your insurance before your next appointment to verify if they will continue to cover telehealth services.

As local and state mandates allow, we will be providing limited in-person visits, prioritizing individuals whose care is either clinically indicated for in-person and those whose insurance does not pay for telehealth services. See the steps below for how to complete a telehealth or in-person visit.

Telehealth Appointments

  1. Contact your insurance at the number on the back of your card to check your telehealth benefits (see steps and questions to ask below in our FAQ). Please do this again, even if you have in the past, as there may be changes to what insurances cover as Oregon’s state mandates change.

  2. Ensure you are in a private space with as few distractions as possible which will provide us with the confidential space needed to conduct an appointment.

  3. Join your clinician’s Zoom meeting link. When you join you will be in their waiting room, and they will "admit" you when they are ready to begin the appointment.

    • If you are having problems, call your clinician at their extension to let them know.

  4. If you need to cancel/reschedule, please leave a voicemail with your clinician or leave a message for reception to cancel 24 hours in advance.

In-Person Appointments

  1. Currently, our in-person appointments are limited.  If you are interested in an in-person appointment, please check with your clinician.

  2. Please do not attend your in-person visit if you have a known exposure to COVID-19 OR if you have any of the following new symptoms. Your appointment will be rescheduled:

    • Fever or feeling feverish (chills, sweating)

    • Difficulty breathing

    • Sore throat

    • Muscle aches or body aches

    • Vomiting or diarrhea

    • New loss of taste or smell

      Your appointment will be rescheduled. 

  3. As of March 19th, Oregon Health Authority's (OHA) indoor mask requirements expire. However, OHA continues to require wearing masks in healthcare settings where patients are seen including behavioral healthcare offices like Willamette Health & Wellness. You will need to wear a mask upon entering our offices.

  4. If you can't attend a scheduled in-person visit and need a telehealth appointment you must provide a 24-hour notice to avoid our standard no show or late fees.  This appointment may or may not be available at the same time. 

  5. Our reception will not be available for check-in, please follow the instructions posted in our office when you arrive.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  1. Is Willamette Health & Wellness (WHW) utilizing telehealth during COVID? Yes. Our clinicians will utilize telehealth/telemedicine via either video or telephone (depending on your insurance requirements). (IMPORTANT NOTE: By Oregon Law, a clinician may only provide services to residents of the state in which they are licensed. You can only receive telehealth from our Oregon licensed clinicians if you are an Oregon Resident).

  2. Can I come into the WHW offices for a face-to-face appointment? At this time WHW is providing telehealth appointments only with exceptions. If you believe you require a face-to-face meeting, you may leave a message with your clinician if you feel this is the case. They will contact you to discuss the risks and benefits of such a decision. If your clinician and you decide this is necessary, you will also need to meet the below requirements:

    1. You do not have a known exposure to COVID-19.

    2. You are currently not experiencing symptoms of fever, cough or other respiratory illness.

    3. You do not have a family member at home who has had a known exposure or symptoms listed above.

  3. How do I access my telehealth appointment? Please see the steps above for how to access and prepare for your telehealth appointment. 

  4. What if I don’t know if my insurance covers telehealth? Your insurance company determines coverage for telehealth, we have some general information below and questions you can ask your insurance when you call them to find out about your telehealth benefits.

    1. We are in-network with MODA, Pacific Source, Aetna, BCBS-Oregon, CareOregon, ComPsych, First Choice Health, Kaiser and Providence. For a list of exceptions please see the billing page. 

    2. We are out-of-network with Cigna, Optum, UBH, will need to call them to inquire about telehealth coverage.

    3. Call your insurance at the number provided on your insurance card. Here are four questions you can ask your insurance about to clarify your telehealth benefits:

      • Do I have telehealth benefits for behavioral health?

      • Can I see my provider at Willamette Health & Wellness for telehealth?

      • Do my benefits cover telephone calls or video?

      • Are there any other restrictions I should be aware of?

    4. We will bill all insurance for any telehealth services (whether you are in-network or out of network).

  5. Is my copay/co-insurance different with telehealth? WHW is continuing to collect co-pays/co-insurance per usual, unless we are informed by the patient or insurance that these are being waived. We are unable to call each patient’s insurance to check on the status of co-pays/co-insurance but instead will have to rely on information we receive from insurance after the insurance claim is processed and explanation of benefits (EOB) is received.  You may also request that we do not collect from you until after we received the EOB. If we collect copays that eventually are covered by insurance, we will provide a refund or post it toward future visits.

    At this time, we understand that deductibles will still apply.  We do not collect deductible payment until after the visit is processed through insurance (as a standard, not just during COVID). 

  6. What if I want to cancel and reschedule my appointment? You may cancel and reschedule an appointment by calling your clinician’s extension or leaving a message for reception. Leave a message indicating you will not attend the appointment and why. You will receive a call back to reschedule. Your voicemail must be time stamped prior to the time of your appointment in order to qualify for the waiving of any cancellation fees. Please call 24 hours in advance to avoid late charges. We charge a “missed appointment” fee if you do not contact us about your appointment before your appointment time and do not attend either via telehealth or in person.