Frequently Asked Questions

For more information or for any questions not listed, please call MDLIVE at 877-874-9169

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General Information

You can talk with a doctor from your home, office, or on the go. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our doctors can visit with you by secure video. They can help treat most non-emergency medical conditions. Our doctors can:

Identify your symptoms
Prescribe medication
Send prescriptions to your pharmacy of choice.*

No. This is for non-emergency medical issues. You shouldn't use MDLIVE if you are having a medical emergency. In case of a medical emergency, you should call 911 right away.

Our doctors are trained to treat common conditions. Some of the most common are:

Acne
Allergies
Constipation
Cough
Diarrhea
Ear problems
Fever
Flu
Headache
Insect bites
Nausea
Pink eye
Rash
Respiratory problems
Sore throats
Urinary problems
Vaginitis
Vomiting

You can sign up and start your account in one the following ways:

Go online to: https://mdlive.com/dedsnp
Call our toll free number: 877-874-9169
Download our mobile app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

You can start using MDLIVE right after you sign up and start your account. Once you have an account, you can look at the different doctors. You can see open times. Then you can set up a visit with the doctor of your choice. Be sure to fill out your medical history to help your MDLIVE doctor for your visit.

MDLIVE is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even on holidays. Use MDLIVE anytime you have a non-emergency medical condition and can’t see your doctor. Or, use MDLIVE when you want an easy choice from the ER, urgent care center, or clinic.

MDLIVE is available anywhere in the United States**. The network of certified professional and credentialed providers will be available to you based on the US state you are located. MDLIVE makes sure that each provider is fully licensed to practice medicine in your state. ^**In Arkansas and Idaho, an initial telemedicine consultation must be completed via secure video. Thereafter, subsequent consultations may be completed via phone.

Yes, MDLIVE can be used on most mobile devices with an internet connection. Our MDLIVE Mobile App is available for download in the Apple App Store and Google Play at no cost.

All MDLIVE doctors are U.S. board-certified. They are able to treat a wide range of conditions.

Following each visit, our members are given a survey about their provider and visit. We review the results for quality assurance and use them to improve our services.

Yes, if the MDLIVE provider believes medication is needed, he or she can write a prescription. This will be sent directly to the pharmacy of your choice.*

Yes, MDLIVE is safe and private. MDLIVE is compliant with the federal law restricting the release of medical information. We’ll only share your information with your selected doctor and pharmacy.

To use video chat you need:

High-speed internet connection
A webcam or smartphone with at least 1.3 megapixel camera
Microphone (most computers have this built in)

After you set up an account, you’ll be able to use a simple online test to check if you’re ready for a video or audio chat.

Don’t see your question? Just call us at 877-874-9169 any time.

MDLIVE Dermatology

MDLIVE’s dermatology service is offered through our exclusive partnership with DermatologistOnCall. This service gives patients national access to board-certified dermatologists through a secure website or mobile device. Patients receive a full consultation, complete with a diagnosis, personalized treatment plan, and appropriate prescriptions. Patients can avoid lengthy waits for appointments and time-consuming trips to the doctor’s office.

Getting started is easy! No appointments are needed. All consultations are done by uploading an image of your condition through the secure MDLIVE portal, unless the patient’s state requires a video consultation. Patients simply choose dermatology from the medical options on the secure MDLIVE portal. They will be taken to a partner site, powered by DermatologistOnCall. After answering a few basic questions and providing a brief medical history, the patient will be asked to upload photos of the skin, nail, or hair condition. In an average of 24 hours a board-certified dermatologist will notify the patient of a diagnosis and treatment plan, which may include prescriptions.

Any adult can use the service.

Our dermatologists are trained to diagnose and treat over 3,000 medical conditions affecting the skin, hair, and nails. Depending on the case, the doctor may determine that an in-office diagnostic or therapeutic procedure is needed for a more accurate diagnosis or to best address the condition. That in-office visit would be outside of MDLIVE’s dermatology services, and payment or insurance coverage for those services would be separate. Please contact Independence to find an in-network dermatologist.

Our dermatology services are not to be used in an emergency. In case of a medical life-threatening emergency, dial 911 immediately.

Please note that pregnant or nursing mothers, or those who are trying to become pregnant, are not permitted to conduct an online dermatology visit.

Teledermatology is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, even on holidays. Use MDLIVE’s dermatology service as a convenient alternative to visiting the dermatologist’s office or to avoid a lengthy wait for an appointment! After answering a few basic questions and providing a brief medical history, the patient will be asked to upload photos of the skin, nail, or hair condition. In an average of 24 hours, a board-certified dermatologist will notify the patient of a diagnosis and treatment plan, which may include prescriptions.

Through our exclusive partnership with DermatologistOnCall, we have the largest national network of dermatologists who are certified by the American Board of Dermatology or the American Osteopathic Association. All dermatologists live within the United States and only see patients in states for which they are licensed. Each dermatologist is credentialed according to NCQA guidelines.

If the dermatologist determines a medication is necessary, they can write a prescription. For states that allow e-prescriptions from teledermatology, an order will be sent directly to the pharmacy. In other states, the dermatologist will need to fax the order through their office.

Members pay $0 copay for dermatology consultations. If an in-office diagnostic or therapeutic procedure is needed for a more accurate diagnosis or to best address the condition, that visit would be outside of MDLIVE’s dermatology services. Payment or insurance coverage for those services would be separate. Please contact Independence for assistance finding an in-network dermatologist. Please check your Evidence of Coverage for copayment and coinsurance information.

MDLIVE accepts most major credit cards, debit cards, and HSA/FSA.

Patients can choose to share the visit notes with a primary care provider. If you choose to share your notes, your dermatologist will secure fax or electronically transmit your notes to your primary care provider.

Yes, we take patient safety and privacy very seriously. Teledermatology adheres to the national patient information security standards found in both HIPAA and HITECH regulations, including sharing information with any accepted insurance providers. Patient photos, personal and medical information, video chats, and diagnoses are never made public.

We have highly trained health service specialists standing by to take your call, 24/7! Call us at 877-874-9169.

Virtual Wellness Screenings with MDLIVE

A virtual wellness screening is an appointment with a board-certified doctor offered through MDLIVE. Your screening is conducted by video or phone and can identify health issues such as diabetes, high cholesterol and other risk factors before they become more serious. You’ll also review other elements of a healthy life like diet, exercise, and emotional well-being. Your doctor will guide you through appropriate next steps for care if health issues are identified.

Virtual wellness screenings and the associated lab work are covered at no cost to you, as part of your preventive care benefits through your health plan.

Wellness screening typically take about 15 minutes, though the length of your visit may vary depending on issues identified through your health risk assessment and blood work. Your doctor will have reviewed your health risk assessment and lab results before your visit, enabling a focused virtual wellness screening.

Virtual wellness screenings can identify common health problems such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, COPD, obesity, allergies, and depression.

Your doctor will use the results of your blood work, biometrics collected at the lab, your health risk assessment, and a focused discussion during your virtual wellness screening to understand your overall health profile and identify health concerns.

You’ll be guided through seven simple steps to complete your virtual wellness screening:

Log-into MDLIVE to schedule an appointment
Select the wellness screening card from the available service cards.
Complete a health assessment on MDLIVE’s secure online platform.
Choose an in-network lab for completing your blood work and biometrics.
Choose an MDLIVE physician that matches your preferences and schedule your screening for a time that works for you.
Go to your lab appointment to complete your blood work.
Attend your virtual wellness screening from anywhere via video or phone. After your screening, you’ll receive a summary of your results for your records.

Before meeting with the doctor, the MDLIVE platform will prompt you to complete a thorough health profile and health risk assessment. Your doctor will review this information in advance of your virtual wellness screening to better understand your history, lifestyle, and health concerns.

Upon request, your virtual wellness screening results can be shared with your primary care physician.

Yes. This allows for a more thorough discussion when you speak with your doctor.

LabCorp or Quest Diagnostics can be used to complete the necessary bloodwork. The bloodwork request will be sent electronically to your selected lab when you schedule your appointment. You do not need to bring any forms to your scheduled lab appointment.

Lab tests include a general health panel, lipid panel, and HbA1c test. These tests will help your doctor assess your risk for high cholesterol, diabetes, and other health conditions. In addition, the labs will also take readings on blood pressure, height, weight, and waist circumference.

Yes. Virtual wellness screenings are a substitute for your annual wellness exam.

No. Currently virtual wellness screenings are only available for adults 18 years of age and older.

Virtual wellness screenings serve the purpose of education, prevention and early detection of clinical conditions and do not generally involve medication prescribing. If a health condition is discovered during the screening, your doctor will refer you to a local provider for further treatment which may include medications. If you need to refill an existing medication and the original prescribing doctor is not available, MDLIVE providers can provide short term refills for most medications. However, you’ll need to request an MDLIVE medical care visit for a refill of an existing medications as refills cannot be provided during a wellness screening.

Behavioral Health with MDLIVE

Teletherapy is a new way to get care. You can see a licensed therapist through an online video therapy session/visit, on your schedule, from wherever you're located. Our HIPAA compliant teletherapy service is easy to use and requires no special hardware.

Coping With Loss & Grief
Anxiety
Depression
Financial Hardship
Marital Problems
Parenting Counseling & Advice
Problems at Work
Stresses & Challenges of Everyday Life

MDLIVE gives you access to only the most trustworthy professionals. Our therapists are all licensed and thoroughly screened. You can browse our network of therapists, read their profiles, check their credentials, and choose the therapist with whom you would like to speak.

You can talk to your therapist when it’s convenient for you - during the day, evenings, or weekends dependent on providers’ available appointments. With MDLIVE, you no longer need to rearrange your schedule or travel to an office to meet with a therapist.

Teletherapy is a great option if you’re seeking a convenient, effective and affordable way to get care. When you’re traveling or if you’re just too busy to make regular office visits, teletherapy makes getting care easy. Our therapists can help you identify problems in your life, pursue practical solutions to those problems, and navigate any obstacles that come up along the way. We also have professionals who specialize in more specific issues, such as: stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, marriage counseling, LBGT issues, parenting, and more.

As a Blue Cross Blue Shield South Carolina Major Group plan member, there is no cost to you.

There are two ways to connect with a therapist - either by phone or through secure video.

Once you get to the MDLIVE home page, you can start looking for a therapist that is licensed in the state where you’re located. You can filter therapist profiles by gender, language or specialty. In each of the therapists’ profiles you will find their credentials, specialties, and schedules of available appointment times.

Once you choose the therapist with whom you would like to speak, you can schedule the appointment time that works best for you. If you haven’t created an MDLIVE account yet, you will be asked to create a profile. You will then confirm your payment and appointment time.

If you are seeing your therapist by phone, your therapist will call you at your scheduled appointment time.

If you are seeing a therapist by video, you will log on to MDLIVE at your scheduled appointment time, and the website will direct you to begin a secure video visit with your therapist. You may need to complete a one-time download of our secure video application.

If you have any issues setting up your account, our care coordinators are available to answer any questions 24/7/365 at 877-874-9169 (TTY/TDD: (800) 770-5531.

If you have feelings that you may want to hurt yourself or someone else, please dial 911 or call the crisis counselors at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 988, where you’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area 24/7.

Disclaimers

* Please note: Some state laws require that a doctor can only prescribe medication in certain situations and subject to certain limitations.

* MDLIVE physicians may not treat any children with urinary symptoms.

* Parents/guardian will be required to complete a different medical history disclosure form for children under the age of 36-months prior to making an appointment with an MDLIVE physician. Children under 36 months who present with fever must be referred to their pediatrician (medical home), child-friendly urgent care center or emergency department for clinical evaluation and care.

MDLIVE does not replace the primary care physician. MDLIVE is not an insurance product nor a prescription fulfillment warehouse. MDLIVE operates subject to state regulation and may not be available in certain states. MDLIVE does not guarantee that a prescription will be written. MDLIVE does not prescribe DEA controlled substances, non-therapeutic drugs and certain other drugs which may be harmful because of their potential for abuse. MDLIVE physicians reserve the right to deny care for potential misuse of services. MDLIVE and the MDLIVE logo are registered trademarks of MDLIVE, Inc. and may not be used without written permission. For complete terms of use visit https://members.mdlive.com/MDLIVE/terms_of_use

MDLIVE Prescription Policy

Providers providing consultations for MDLIVE members offer prescriptions for a wide range of products that deliver direct medicinal value. These include, but are not limited to, drug classes such as antibiotics and antihistamines. Convenience prescriptions for maintenance medicines may also be obtained in cases where a member is in transition to a new insurance plan or provider.

It is important to note that MDLIVE is not a drug fulfillment warehouse. In the event a provider does prescribe medication, he/she will usually limit the supply to no more than thirty days. Patients with chronic illnesses should visit their primary care providers or other specialists for extended care. MDLIVE providers do not issue prescriptions for substances controlled by the DEA, for non-therapeutic use, and/or those which may be harmful (potential for abuse or addiction). For a current list of DEA controlled substances, visit http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/

** In Arkansas and Idaho; an initial visit must be completed via video. After an initial visit, subsequent consultations may be completed via phone.