Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Mar 26, 2023
Hi @dh524,
Mayo Clinic welcomes both new and existing patients for virtual and in-person care, including elective surgeries, in adherence with federal and state executive orders and guidance. Video and phone visits can be great options for appointments before, after or in place of face-to-face care. Appointment coordinators will recommend a virtual visit if it best fits your individual needs. Here is more information and how to get started with submitting an appointment request: http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63
I have a related question: Now that the COVID public health emergency is over, will Mayo Clinic still schedule new patient telehealth appointments? I traveled to Mayo for a comprehensive appointment the last week of April, and the physician coordinating my care there put in referrals for consultations with other specialists, stating if these could not be scheduled while I was in town, they could be scheduled as virtual visits. Multiple people told me this that day. The following day, their scheduler told me telehealth visits could not be scheduled out of state except for established patients, because of the end of the public health emergency and rules changing. I notified the coordinator in that clinic of what I was told. It’s now been over two weeks, and I’ve left multiple portal and phone messages asking for an update, with no response on whether or not I’ll be scheduled for the rest of my telehealth consults as we discussed. I don’t which is correct—is Mayo scheduling telehealth with out of state patients now that the public health emergency has ended, or not, and who can I contact to find out?
I have a related question: Now that the COVID public health emergency is over, will Mayo Clinic still schedule new patient telehealth appointments? I traveled to Mayo for a comprehensive appointment the last week of April, and the physician coordinating my care there put in referrals for consultations with other specialists, stating if these could not be scheduled while I was in town, they could be scheduled as virtual visits. Multiple people told me this that day. The following day, their scheduler told me telehealth visits could not be scheduled out of state except for established patients, because of the end of the public health emergency and rules changing. I notified the coordinator in that clinic of what I was told. It’s now been over two weeks, and I’ve left multiple portal and phone messages asking for an update, with no response on whether or not I’ll be scheduled for the rest of my telehealth consults as we discussed. I don’t which is correct—is Mayo scheduling telehealth with out of state patients now that the public health emergency has ended, or not, and who can I contact to find out?
@emo, Mayo Clinic's website states:
"We welcome both new and existing patients for virtual and in-person care, including elective surgeries, in adherence with federal and state executive orders and guidance." https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/visitor-updates
However, regulations may be changing now that the public health emergency has ended and the website has not yet been updated.
I'm sorry that you have not gotten a clear response via the portal. I suggest calling the main appointment office at the campus where you were seen. In the meantime, I'll see what I can find out too.
@emo, Mayo Clinic's website states:
"We welcome both new and existing patients for virtual and in-person care, including elective surgeries, in adherence with federal and state executive orders and guidance." https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/visitor-updates
However, regulations may be changing now that the public health emergency has ended and the website has not yet been updated.
I'm sorry that you have not gotten a clear response via the portal. I suggest calling the main appointment office at the campus where you were seen. In the meantime, I'll see what I can find out too.
Thanks, @colleenyoung. That would be great if you could see if you could find out, or even if you could let someone know this is happening and there's confusion. If it's true that telehealth can't be scheduled for out-of-state patients anymore, then someone somewhere must be aware of it, and I can't be the only person stalled. But if not... I don't know.
I've called the clinic once a week and had to leave a message each time because the person they said I'd need to speak with was unavailable. That's in addition to portal messages to her and the physician's team. It seems they're a small team and really care; they might be overwhelmed, so I didn't want to submit a "complaint" or "grievance" to Patient Experience. The only thing I could think of was to ask here and see if anyone else was having issues.
It'll be three weeks going on this Thursday since the last time I spoke with someone in the clinic where I was seen. Originally, I spoke with the scheduler for the clinic--he was the person who told me he could not schedule any of the consultations that had been ordered as telehealth because of the end of the public health emergency, canceled the appointments I had, and so far no new appointments have been scheduled, and I've not had an update.
Thanks, @colleenyoung. That would be great if you could see if you could find out, or even if you could let someone know this is happening and there's confusion. If it's true that telehealth can't be scheduled for out-of-state patients anymore, then someone somewhere must be aware of it, and I can't be the only person stalled. But if not... I don't know.
I've called the clinic once a week and had to leave a message each time because the person they said I'd need to speak with was unavailable. That's in addition to portal messages to her and the physician's team. It seems they're a small team and really care; they might be overwhelmed, so I didn't want to submit a "complaint" or "grievance" to Patient Experience. The only thing I could think of was to ask here and see if anyone else was having issues.
It'll be three weeks going on this Thursday since the last time I spoke with someone in the clinic where I was seen. Originally, I spoke with the scheduler for the clinic--he was the person who told me he could not schedule any of the consultations that had been ordered as telehealth because of the end of the public health emergency, canceled the appointments I had, and so far no new appointments have been scheduled, and I've not had an update.
My understanding is once you've got a foot in the door so to speak by already having an initial visit then you can do follow ups virtually. I know there has been alot of confusion about how the ending of the pandemic emergency would change things but that is how someone explained it to me.
My understanding is once you've got a foot in the door so to speak by already having an initial visit then you can do follow ups virtually. I know there has been alot of confusion about how the ending of the pandemic emergency would change things but that is how someone explained it to me.
Thanks. That's what I thought, but the scheduler in the clinic where I was seen told me he can't schedule me for any of the virtual visits my physician (at Mayo) ordered as part of my work-up because I'll be considered a "new patient" with all the other providers.
I know there's a lot of confusion, but what's frustrating me the most is the complete lack of follow-up or response from the clinic where I was seen at Mayo. I don't even know what my status is. It's made for a really negative experience--I basically left Jacksonville without a plan or any of the appointments scheduled. It will be 3 weeks as of tomorrow since I last heard from someone in the clinic.
I can't think of anything else to do but keep calling the clinic and sending portal messages, or anyone else to ask. I've tried calling the specialty clinic, messaging the physician's team in the portal (I received a response, but it didn't answer my question--all the message said is my "final follow-up" will occur by telemedicine, but the nurse didn't answer my question of how I was supposed to complete all the other consultations that were ordered), messaging the nurse coordinator for the specialty clinic, contacting customer service, and posting here.
I don't want to file a "grievance" or "complaint" with the Patient Experience department (if I file a "grievance," the relevant department is required to respond to me) because I don't want to get anyone in trouble, especially not the small group of people who are trying to help patients like me.
It seems like all I can do is wait, and keep leaving messages.
Thanks. That's what I thought, but the scheduler in the clinic where I was seen told me he can't schedule me for any of the virtual visits my physician (at Mayo) ordered as part of my work-up because I'll be considered a "new patient" with all the other providers.
I know there's a lot of confusion, but what's frustrating me the most is the complete lack of follow-up or response from the clinic where I was seen at Mayo. I don't even know what my status is. It's made for a really negative experience--I basically left Jacksonville without a plan or any of the appointments scheduled. It will be 3 weeks as of tomorrow since I last heard from someone in the clinic.
I can't think of anything else to do but keep calling the clinic and sending portal messages, or anyone else to ask. I've tried calling the specialty clinic, messaging the physician's team in the portal (I received a response, but it didn't answer my question--all the message said is my "final follow-up" will occur by telemedicine, but the nurse didn't answer my question of how I was supposed to complete all the other consultations that were ordered), messaging the nurse coordinator for the specialty clinic, contacting customer service, and posting here.
I don't want to file a "grievance" or "complaint" with the Patient Experience department (if I file a "grievance," the relevant department is required to respond to me) because I don't want to get anyone in trouble, especially not the small group of people who are trying to help patients like me.
It seems like all I can do is wait, and keep leaving messages.
@emo, I agree that the lack of communication is not right. Please see your private messages. I need more information to help you further.
In the meantime, I found out that Mayo Clinic continues to offer virtual care for out-of-state patients IF the provider you are seeing is licensed in the state where you live.
I was told they ended virtual appointments and i need to make a in person appt.
which i prefer anyway.
Maybe it is different based on the dept you are visiting.
When i made my appt in Feb...The first opening was end of May and they said virtual would be over
by the time of my appt.
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | May 17, 2023
Update regarding virtual appointments.
When the Federal health emergency was lifted May 11th, 2023, access to virtual appointments changed across the nation. Not all appointments are permitted virtually.
Mayo Clinic welcomes both new and existing patients for virtual and in-person care in adherence with federal and state executive orders and guidance.Virtual care is available for out-of-state patients IF the provider you are seeing is licensed in the state where you live.
When the Federal health emergency was lifted May 11th, 2023, access to virtual appointments changed across the nation. Not all appointments are permitted virtually.
Mayo Clinic welcomes both new and existing patients for virtual and in-person care in adherence with federal and state executive orders and guidance.Virtual care is available for out-of-state patients IF the provider you are seeing is licensed in the state where you live.
Thanks again for finding this out, and posting it. It helps to get some clarity while I wait to hear from the clinic where I was seen on how or if I can move forward.
It seems it may take some time for that information to trickle down to the various departments scheduling (or rescheduling) appointments.
Based on my own research, that's the conclusion I came up with (virtual care may be an option if the provider is licensed in the state where you will be logging in AND/OR if you established care in person before the telehealth appointment...at least in the state where I live). Psychotherapy licensing seems even messier.
Unfortunately in my situation, it looks like the news hadn't trickled down to the team on the ground at Mayo I was working with, because even when I proactively asked if this was a problem back in March, I was told it would not be a problem. And...now it is. I wish I could go back in time. I would have tried harder or insisted on trying to secure in-person consultations while I was in town, but they said as late as the last week of April when I was there, that this was not necessary.
One of the departments scheduled me for a new patient virtual visit in June a few weeks ago, and when I asked, they weren't aware of any change in rules or policy, so I'm expecting that appointment to eventually be canceled unless the provider happens to be licensed in my state.
My PCP said that some large organizations are considering paying to get their providers licensed in all 50 states, especially organizations who see a large number of out of state patients. That sounds a little crazy.
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Hi @dh524,
Mayo Clinic welcomes both new and existing patients for virtual and in-person care, including elective surgeries, in adherence with federal and state executive orders and guidance. Video and phone visits can be great options for appointments before, after or in place of face-to-face care. Appointment coordinators will recommend a virtual visit if it best fits your individual needs. Here is more information and how to get started with submitting an appointment request: http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63
You may also be interested in the helpful tips in this related discussion:
– Telemedicine: How to make the most of a virtual doctor visit https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/covid-19-telemedicine-its-a-brave-new-world/
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2 ReactionsI have a related question: Now that the COVID public health emergency is over, will Mayo Clinic still schedule new patient telehealth appointments? I traveled to Mayo for a comprehensive appointment the last week of April, and the physician coordinating my care there put in referrals for consultations with other specialists, stating if these could not be scheduled while I was in town, they could be scheduled as virtual visits. Multiple people told me this that day. The following day, their scheduler told me telehealth visits could not be scheduled out of state except for established patients, because of the end of the public health emergency and rules changing. I notified the coordinator in that clinic of what I was told. It’s now been over two weeks, and I’ve left multiple portal and phone messages asking for an update, with no response on whether or not I’ll be scheduled for the rest of my telehealth consults as we discussed. I don’t which is correct—is Mayo scheduling telehealth with out of state patients now that the public health emergency has ended, or not, and who can I contact to find out?
@emo, Mayo Clinic's website states:
"We welcome both new and existing patients for virtual and in-person care, including elective surgeries, in adherence with federal and state executive orders and guidance." https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/visitor-updates
However, regulations may be changing now that the public health emergency has ended and the website has not yet been updated.
I'm sorry that you have not gotten a clear response via the portal. I suggest calling the main appointment office at the campus where you were seen. In the meantime, I'll see what I can find out too.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsThanks, @colleenyoung. That would be great if you could see if you could find out, or even if you could let someone know this is happening and there's confusion. If it's true that telehealth can't be scheduled for out-of-state patients anymore, then someone somewhere must be aware of it, and I can't be the only person stalled. But if not... I don't know.
I've called the clinic once a week and had to leave a message each time because the person they said I'd need to speak with was unavailable. That's in addition to portal messages to her and the physician's team. It seems they're a small team and really care; they might be overwhelmed, so I didn't want to submit a "complaint" or "grievance" to Patient Experience. The only thing I could think of was to ask here and see if anyone else was having issues.
It'll be three weeks going on this Thursday since the last time I spoke with someone in the clinic where I was seen. Originally, I spoke with the scheduler for the clinic--he was the person who told me he could not schedule any of the consultations that had been ordered as telehealth because of the end of the public health emergency, canceled the appointments I had, and so far no new appointments have been scheduled, and I've not had an update.
But thank you for your response.
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Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsMy understanding is once you've got a foot in the door so to speak by already having an initial visit then you can do follow ups virtually. I know there has been alot of confusion about how the ending of the pandemic emergency would change things but that is how someone explained it to me.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsThanks. That's what I thought, but the scheduler in the clinic where I was seen told me he can't schedule me for any of the virtual visits my physician (at Mayo) ordered as part of my work-up because I'll be considered a "new patient" with all the other providers.
I know there's a lot of confusion, but what's frustrating me the most is the complete lack of follow-up or response from the clinic where I was seen at Mayo. I don't even know what my status is. It's made for a really negative experience--I basically left Jacksonville without a plan or any of the appointments scheduled. It will be 3 weeks as of tomorrow since I last heard from someone in the clinic.
I can't think of anything else to do but keep calling the clinic and sending portal messages, or anyone else to ask. I've tried calling the specialty clinic, messaging the physician's team in the portal (I received a response, but it didn't answer my question--all the message said is my "final follow-up" will occur by telemedicine, but the nurse didn't answer my question of how I was supposed to complete all the other consultations that were ordered), messaging the nurse coordinator for the specialty clinic, contacting customer service, and posting here.
I don't want to file a "grievance" or "complaint" with the Patient Experience department (if I file a "grievance," the relevant department is required to respond to me) because I don't want to get anyone in trouble, especially not the small group of people who are trying to help patients like me.
It seems like all I can do is wait, and keep leaving messages.
@emo, I agree that the lack of communication is not right. Please see your private messages. I need more information to help you further.
In the meantime, I found out that Mayo Clinic continues to offer virtual care for out-of-state patients IF the provider you are seeing is licensed in the state where you live.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsI was told they ended virtual appointments and i need to make a in person appt.
which i prefer anyway.
Maybe it is different based on the dept you are visiting.
When i made my appt in Feb...The first opening was end of May and they said virtual would be over
by the time of my appt.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionUpdate regarding virtual appointments.
When the Federal health emergency was lifted May 11th, 2023, access to virtual appointments changed across the nation. Not all appointments are permitted virtually.
Mayo Clinic welcomes both new and existing patients for virtual and in-person care in adherence with federal and state executive orders and guidance.Virtual care is available for out-of-state patients IF the provider you are seeing is licensed in the state where you live.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionThanks again for finding this out, and posting it. It helps to get some clarity while I wait to hear from the clinic where I was seen on how or if I can move forward.
It seems it may take some time for that information to trickle down to the various departments scheduling (or rescheduling) appointments.
Based on my own research, that's the conclusion I came up with (virtual care may be an option if the provider is licensed in the state where you will be logging in AND/OR if you established care in person before the telehealth appointment...at least in the state where I live). Psychotherapy licensing seems even messier.
Unfortunately in my situation, it looks like the news hadn't trickled down to the team on the ground at Mayo I was working with, because even when I proactively asked if this was a problem back in March, I was told it would not be a problem. And...now it is. I wish I could go back in time. I would have tried harder or insisted on trying to secure in-person consultations while I was in town, but they said as late as the last week of April when I was there, that this was not necessary.
One of the departments scheduled me for a new patient virtual visit in June a few weeks ago, and when I asked, they weren't aware of any change in rules or policy, so I'm expecting that appointment to eventually be canceled unless the provider happens to be licensed in my state.
My PCP said that some large organizations are considering paying to get their providers licensed in all 50 states, especially organizations who see a large number of out of state patients. That sounds a little crazy.
I guess we'll have to see.