Tele-ER Frequently Asked Questions
When a patient calls the Tele-ER phone number, they will be connected to a member of the Emergency Room team who will determine whether you are a candidate for a Tele-ER session. Your situation may be handled adequately by seeing your primary care provider, going to an Urgent Care clinic or you may need to go directly to an Emergency Room for care.
The experienced ER nurse will complete an ER triage and assessment to determine if the patient qualifies for a Tele-ER visit or in–person ER visit.
The nurse or emergency provider will instruct the patient to visit their closest Emergency Room. If the patient cannot drive themselves and is needed, our ER staff will assist in contacting 911 for the patient.
Baptist Health System understands patients have developed a heightened sensitivity and apprehension for care during the pandemic. The Tele-ER service provides a safe alternative for patients to seek emergency care with one of our experienced Emergency Room providers via a secure virtual tele-health platform.
October 2020
The service is available at all San Antonio hospitals.
We plan to offer a Tele-ER program for Pediatrics in the near future.
Tele-ER allows our Emergency Room staff to triage any non-emergent patients and redirect them into the Tele-ER service thus decreasing unnecessary hospital visits.
The program provides patients with an alternative path to seek emergent/urgent care from the comfort of their home.
A Tele-ER visit requires either a smartphone, laptop or desktop computer.
We are able to provide patients with immediate access to a registered Emergency Room nurse who determines what is appropriate for the patient - an ER or Tele-ER visit with an emergency provider.
The virtual visit is completely secure. We utilize ZOOM for Healthcare which is a safe and secure platform to ensure compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
Yes, Tele-ER staff are able to utilize a third-party translation service to translate for the patient.
There is an affordable self-pay package available for patients without insurance. The hospital will offer a discount according to charity care and self-pay rates.
- The Tele-ER visit charge is $145 and is covered by most managed care plans at a discounted rate.
- The out of pocket cost is determined by the type of medical insurance the patient has.
No. The patient will not be charged for the Tele-ER visit if they are seen in the Emergency Room subsequent to the Tele-ER virtual visit.
