Digestive Health - Online Communications

We are pleased to offer personal online secure e-mail communication to selected established patients. Digestive Health physicians currently participating in this service are:

Dr. Gerstenberger

Please keep in mind that this is a personal service, which means that your e-mail will not be routed through or managed by our staff. Only your gastroenterologist can retrieve your messages and only he will respond. He will check for messages as frequently as possible (generally several times a day), and try to respond to you within 24 hours.

During periods of high clinical demand when your doctor is on call for emergencies at Mercy Regional Medical Center, or when he is otherwise occupied in the endoscopy laboratory or by urgent clinical matters, he may not be able to respond as promptly. He may also not respond if he is away from the office or on vacation. If you do not receive a response in a timely manner please contact our medical assistants by telephone at Digestive Health for advice.

Emergencies (click here for additional information)

Online communication is not an emergency service. Please direct all emergency matters to my office telephone system or the the Mercy Regional Medical Center Emergency Department.

Fees

Online communication is a fee-based service which may or may not be reimbursed by your insurer. Please understand that responding to what may seem to be a simple query or request from you is a legal act of the practice of medicine on our part. A review of your medical record at Digestive Health, the Southwest Endoscopy Center and Mercy Medical Center is necessary prior to formulating a response, and a record of our communication must be entered in your Digestive Health record. We will, as medically appropriate, issue orders through our staff for additional laboratory, imaging (radiology) or endoscopy services on the basis of these communications. We may also issue prescriptions electronically. In some cases, we may need to speak with you personally by telephone or have you come into the office for a traditional visit.

In many cases, this online communication may be more expeditious and cost effective for you than a formal clinic visit.

Our fees for this service are:

Basic ($65)

Basic level communication includes a message or series of messages to report on tests or laboratory results, to clarify or alter previous instructions, to integrate new information from other health professionals into your medical treatment plan, or to adjust therapy.

Intermediate ($98)

Intermediate level communication includes a message or series of messages to provide advice on a new problem, to initiate therapy that can be handled appropriately in an e-mail format, to go over test results in detail, to coordinate medical management of a new problem, to review and evaluate new information and details, or to initiate a new plan of care.

What to ask your insurer regarding coverage for this service

Ask your insurer if your policy provides coverage for 2008 CPT code

99444 - Online evaluation and management service provided by a physician to an established patient, guardian or health care provider not originating from a related E/M service provided within the previous 7 days, using the Internet or similar electronic communications network. Medicare has designated this as a "noncovered" service for 2008.

We are happy to provide you with this service on a private pay basis if it is not a covered benefit of your policy.

To initiate Online Communication services please follow the steps below.

1. You must be an established patient to use this service. Your physician must be identified at the right as offering this service and must determine that online communication is medically appropriate in your case. New patients must be seen personally prior to initiating online communication.

2. Complete this consent form, and provide it to Digestive Health. This form must be in your file before this service can be made available to you.

Consent for Online Communications

Medicare patients must additionally complete and have on file the following form:

Medicare Advanced Beneficiary Notice for Online Communication Services

3. Contact our receptionists or medical assistants at Digestive Health and inform them that you are requesting online consultation.

You will need an account with ZixMail (our encryption and secure e-mail provider) to use this service. There is no additional charge to you for using ZixMail, though registration is necessary.

When we have processed your request for consultation you will receive a standard e-mail from your doctor directing you to the ZixMail site to retrieve your initial message.

The system is easy to use and will allow multiple replies, which may be necessary to adequately address your concerns.

Please allow your doctor to initiate e-mail communications. You will have the opportunity to provide us with all necessary information in a secure environment.

Do not send protected health information to our @digestivehealth.net mail addresses. Such transmissions are not secure and potentially violate federal privacy rules (HIPAA).