Telehealth and Telemedicine FAQ

Telehealth refers broadly to electronic and telecommunications technologies and services used to provide care and services at-a-distance.

Telemedicine is the practice of medicine using technology to deliver care at a distance. A physician in one location uses a telecommunications infrastructure to deliver care to a patient at a distant site.

Telehealth is different from telemedicine in that it refers to a broader scope of remote health care services than telemedicine. Telemedicine refers specifically to remote clinical services, while telehealth can refer to remote non-clinical services.

BreakThrough is an “in-network” provider of on-site and virtual services through our Telemedicine/Telehealth programs for many insurers.

• If we are “in-network” with your insurance carrier and your needs are determined to be medically necessary, we will bill your insurance carrier on your behalf.
• If we are out of network with your insurance carrier, we will request that you pay in advance for your telehealth/telemedicine sessions. You are welcome to bill these to your insurance carrier and/or FSA/HSA plan, but unfortunately, we will be unable to advise or assist should they decide to not support you financially for these services.
• NOTE: If we are unsure of “medical necessity”, we will need to see you for a private Health Consultation session in order to better understand your situation, goals and commitment. Because this is an initial consultation, this session will NOT be billable to your insurance carrier whether we are in or out of network with your insurance.

Over the years, we have treated countless individuals who waited, thinking their issues would improve on their own or tried to “Google” exercises for “quick fixes” for their problem, only to make themselves worse and more frustrated. Our Telehealth Experience takes the guess work out of it. With a minimal time and financial commitment, our experienced team will ask you the right questions and be able to observe through a HIPAA compliant technology what they need. We will then make recommendations for best next steps whether you live here in the Bay Area or anywhere in the world. Ultimately, we save you time, money, headaches, frustration and get you back to your desired level of function.

Absolutely! In fact, most of our patients schedule at least one Telehealth session about a month after their “graduation” session here at BreakThrough. They find it really beneficial and we almost always see an exercise or two that need correction or advancement. Your PT is able to guide you with minimal time and financial commitment on your end.

Absolutely! We do our best to treat you as if you were our only patient/client at all times. As such, many of our patients and clients stay connected with us through Telehealth (California only) and our Unlicensed Health Consultation Services (worldwide) no matter where they are living or how busy their schedule. Our Care Team and your PT are happy to collaborate and help you with the best program for you to continue to live the life you deserve.

While we can provide reasonable assistance for our Telehealth clients, if you have a more serious medical condition, there is no replacement for one on one, hands on care. In certain circumstances like COVID-19, Telemedicine became the only viable way for us to help people for a period of time. Sometimes a prior patient/client of ours has moved out of the area and they trust us so they continue with our Telehealth or Unlicensed Health Consultant services so we can see them and catch up, ask them the right questions and help them find the best possible local care.  If you are moving out of the area, we suggest you consider the points made in this article to help ensure you find the best possible physical therapy care in your area.

While you can seek the help of any physical therapist, if you want your doctor to complete and submit a prescription on your behalf to us, please share this link with them.

ou would go to your insurance’s member portal. Login and look or call them directly. Here are the most common ones:

• Aetna
• Anthem Blue Cross of California
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Blue Shield of California
• Cigna
• Healthnet
• Medicare
• Tricare
• Triwest
• UnitedHealthcare

You will need a stable internet connection as well as a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Be sure to test it out prior to your session so you obtain maximal benefit.

If you are unsure or not feeling ready to go to the doctor for evaluation, Telehealth is a phenomenal, low cost and low time commitment option.  BreakThrough’s Telehealth Experience enables you to speak with a physical therapist to discuss your situation, obtain some basic tips and receive expert advice on next steps so you can reduce pain and limitations.  Now might be right time to make BreakThrough’s of your own!  We’ve had countless patients say they wish they had addressed their condition properly much sooner.

While there is no replacement for one on one comprehensive physical therapy, our Telehealth Experience enables your Physical Therapist to see how your are moving and assess your flexibility/strength.  They provide personalized modifications to your treatment plan such as specific stretching, strengthening and agility exercises as well as ergonomic considerations that will help keep you moving in the right direction.