Frequently Asked Questions
What is Prepaid Office Visits?
Prepaid Office Visits, LLC. is a company that specializes in connecting people to doctors, anytime of day, seven days a week. Prepaid Office Visits is convenient and affordable access to quality physician care. Prepaid Office Visits provides its members with convenient access to telephonic and secure email medical consultations provided by the physicians independently contracted as participating providers in the Prepaid Office Visits Physician Network. Our solutions have been developed to manage medical conditions through telephone and internet-based applications. These applications also support all operations, including sales, marketing, customer service and physician management.

To whom does Prepaid Office Visits provide service?
Prepaid Office Visits offers service to anyone who might need or want to speak to a doctor, conveniently and affordably. Prepaid Office Visit’s service offerings are aimed at individual members (uninsured and underinsured), and large groups trying to contain escalating healthcare costs. The group programs primarily target (1) self insured employers, (2) health insurance carriers, and (3) associations that are taking the initiative to reduce physician care costs for their constituency.

Do the Prepaid Office Visits Physician Network physicians carry professional liability/malpractice insurance?
Yes; as part of credentialing, all participating physicians in the Prepaid Office Visits Physician Network are required to be covered by professional liability/malpractice insurance.

Who are Prepaid Office Visits’ partners?
To bring telephone and secure email medical consultations to members, Prepaid Office Visits has and seeks new relationships with insurance companies, third party administrators, employers, associations, unions, insurance agents and brokers, discount prescription, dental and other healthcare programs, and local, state and federal government agencies.

What is the Prepaid Office Visits Service?
Prepaid Office Visits connects members 24 hours, 7 days a week via telephone and email with U.S.-based, licensed physicians and board-certified specialists who have independently contracted to be participating providers in the Prepaid Office Visits Physician Network. It is a convenient and affordable alternative that increases access to physician care, while lowering healthcare costs.

How does a consultation work?
Prepaid Office Visits provides access to physicians for telephone or secure email medical consultations. The medical services offered during a consultation can range from providing general advice to making a diagnosis, recommending treatment, and prescribing medication, when appropriate.

What conditions can be treated by a telephone consultation with a physician?
Prepaid Office Visits provides access to physicians for the treatment of non-emergent, common conditions involving routine primary care. Specific examples include allergies, throat infections, respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, gastroenteritis, and many other every day ailments. Should a member present a case that in the judgement of the consulting physician requires further examination, the consulting physician may recommend that the patient see a primary care physician.

Where are Prepaid Office Visits’ services available?
Prepaid Office Visits’ services are available from anywhere, as long as the member has telephone or Internet access. Members can use the service from home, at work, or on the road.

Why might someone use the Prepaid Office Visits service instead of seeing their own doctor?
According to the Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA), as many as 72% of doctor office visits and emergency room visits are unnecessary. While the care was necessary, the travel and cost of the visit could be avoided. Prepaid Office Visits provides a more convenient, and cost-effective alternative to the high cost setting of a doctor’s office or the ER. Prepaid Office Visits believes that their services can reduce healthcare costs, maximize physician access for rural residents, and offer convenience without sacrificing quality of care.

Does Prepaid Office Visits’ service replace the need for a Primary Care Physician?
Prepaid Office Visits’ service does not replace the need for a Primary Care Physician. The service is designed to supplement care administered by the member’s primary care physician. It should only be used as alternative to the traditional health care setting when appropriate, and as needed.

Does the physician review the member’s medical history before performing a consult?
Yes. The patient must provide full medical history to the physician prior to the telephone consult. The consulting physician reviews the medical history that is provided by the member, and any other relevant medical records stored in the member’s HIPAA-compliant electronic medical record.

How does Prepaid Office Visits obtain the member’s medical history?
Members are required to complete a comprehensive medical history prior to participating in a diagnostic consultation. The medical history questionnaire becomes a permanent part of the member’s electronic medical record and is available to be updated by the member at any time. Prior to every diagnostic medical consultation, the automated system will ask the member if there are any changes or updates to the medical history that is on file. The detailed medical history is similar to the information an individual provides during his or her first office visit to a Primary Care Physician, including past medical history, previously diagnosed conditions, current medications, and allergies.

How are patient records maintained at Prepaid Office Visits?
Although Prepaid Office Visits is not technically a covered entity, the Company follows the laws and regulations related to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and patient privacy. The Member provides the medical history and is responsible for updates and any related medical information they choose to load into their medical record. Additionally, after each consultation, the physician amends the patient record with the relevant medical progress notes. Provided the member has supplied the proper HIPAA release documents, the medical record can be shared with the member’s primary care physician facilitating continuity of care.

What are the different types of consultation services offered?
There are two different types of service: Informational Consultations (by telephone or email) and Diagnostic Consultations (only by telephone).
Informational Consultations: Convenient, 24/7 telephone or email access to physicians for general advice and recommendations regarding routine medical conditions.
Diagnostic Consultations: Comprehensive telephone medical consultation, often resulting in diagnosis and specific treatment recommendations. A complete medical assessment is required prior to consult. Medication may be prescribed as appropriate. 
Video Consultation: Video communication with a physician for information and advice about common conditions. Appropriate for discussing sensitive medical issues in a discreet fashion.

Can a members access the service from abroad?
Yes, the system is accessible from anywhere, provided the member has telephone or internet access. Diagnostic consults require a call back from the system, and the system can only call U.S.- based phone numbers.

Can consulting physicians recommend specific primary care physicians or specialists?
While Prepaid Office Visits is not a referral service, participating physicians in the Prepaid Office Visits Physician Network are free to make such recommendations that they deem appropriate.

If someone has a pre-existing condition, can he/she still be a member?
Yes. This is not insurance, so there are no exclusions or access denials because of preexisting conditions. There are no additional fees if the member has a preexisting condition.

Is there a minimum age requirement?
Yes. Members must be at least 18 years of age. Dependants or secondary members, can be minors, however a guardian must conduct a medical consultation on behalf of an underage dependant that is on the account.

Who can become a member?
Anyone is accepted regardless of pre-existing conditions.

Are there any limitations as to what medications physicians can prescribe?
Prepaid Office Visits physicians do not prescribe DEA-controlled (Class II, etc) medications.

How are prescriptions filled?
Prepaid Office Visits is not a pharmacy and it does not profit in any way from prescribing or filling prescription medications. The prescribing doctor typically calls in the prescription by telephone or uses e-prescribing tools to provide the prescription to the member’s preferred pharmacy.

Does the individual member save money?
Recent studies indicate that 70% of all doctor office visits are unnecessary. The service provides members with access to physicians 24/7. Avoiding the cost of visiting a primary care physician or hospital when it is not necessary saves member’s time and money. Additionally, members are not taking costly time off from work.

How does Prepaid Office Visits work with a member’s medical insurance?
Prepaid Office Visits’ service is not health or medical insurance;  nor are the consultation services provided by the physicians who are independently contracted as participating providers in the Prepaid Office Visits Physician Network, considered covered services on any health insurance policy. Prepaid Office Visits’ service works independently of any health plan. All fees associated with the service are paid by the member or the members sponsoring organization.

If the physician recommends that a member see a specialist or primary care physician, does the member still have to pay the consult fee?
Yes. Like seeing any doctor, if the patient is referred out to another physician, the consultation fees still apply.

Is the Service the same as a nurse’s hot line?
No. The service is very different from a nurse hot line. Unlike the Prepaid Office Visits service, nurses do not have the educational background, training, or licensing to practice comprehensive medicine. They cannot make a medical diagnosis and they cannot prescribe medical treatment.




Prepaid office Visits
Prepaid office visits is not an insurance company, nor does it provide insurance coverage.
813-966-3584
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