You're paying for health insurance. So you want to get what you're paying for. But even with coverage, you've realized that seeing an online doctor is often more affordable.

You're wondering; can you use insurance to meet with an online doctor?

The truth is that standard health insurance plans can cover most online doctor visits. But, it's never a bad idea to check the coverage details of your individual plan.

Today, we'll address your commonly asked questions and concerns pertaining to using insurance for online doctor visits.

1. Do online doctors take health insurance?

Yes. HealthTap accepts many insurance plans -- several hundred, in fact -- across the US. You can use insurance for both virtual urgent care and primary care.

Let's be transparent. You may still have out-of-pocket costs and have to meet a deductible. You may also need to pay the low, reasonable visit fee (just $39 for a member PCP visit) if insurance doesn't pay. This is standard for all doctors, not just virtual ones.

2. Does insurance cover online doctor membership fees?

No. The low quarterly membership fee that gives you access to affordable, online care when you need it is not considered a medical service.

However, insurance may cover your office visit fee for PCP or Urgent Care. It may also cover some or all of the labs, tests, prescriptions, therapy, and other expenses.

3. Can you see an online doctor without insurance?

You can. One of the great things about HealthTap is that it makes healthcare affordable. Even if you're managing a chronic condition like Type 2 Diabetes, your online PCP visit is still just $39.

One of the ways we're able to keep costs so low is because most of our members pay without insurance. We don't have the high overhead and administration costs in-person clinics do.

We also automate many tasks that physical offices are still doing by hand. This maximizes our efficiency without sacrificing our virtual bedside manner.

We can pass those savings onto you.

4. Does HealthTap request payment directly?

Most of the time, yes. Similar to a physical clinic, we regularly submit the billing forms for the office visit. With some health insurance, we receive payments directly from the insurance company.

5. Can you ask a doctor a question without having to pay for an office visit or use insurance?

Wouldn't it be great if you could just ask a question without having to pay for a visit? That's not usually how healthcare works. Doctors need to be paid for their time like anyone else.

But we've developed a solution that allows you to ask informational and educational questions without extra cost. 

Medically-reviewed content

The problem with asking a search engine a question is this: you never know if the person who answers it actually knows what they're talking about.

You don't run into this on HealthTap. You can find many answers on our website. These answers are reviewed by doctors.

Of course, no generic online content can address your unique situation. So if you need a more personalized answer, you'll like the next resource.

Ask a doctor a question

If you need a personalized answer, our members can ask a question and get a real, thoughtful, personalized answer from a real doctor within 24 hours, for free.

If you ask a question anonymously, these questions are not linked to you online. But they will be shared on HealthTap. That way we can help others who have the same question. And you can avoid awkward face-to-face conversations.

Did you know current healthcare costs are topping $12,000 per person per year? 26% of this rests on the shoulders of the individuals.

We're working toward making healthcare more affordable for all.

Online symptom checker

You can also get the answer to some questions through our AI-powered online symptom checker.

Like all AI, initial training takes place -- in this case, by doctors.

The tool then learns more as people use it. To gain free access to these tools, sign up for a free HealthTap membership.

6. Can you use your HSA or FSA to speak with your PCP?

Absolutely. Seeing a PCP or Urgent Care in-person or online is considered the same thing under HSA policy.

If you have a high deductible insurance plan with a Health Saving Account (HSA), you can either use your HSA debit card or request reimbursement from your HSA balance through your HSA administrator.

See your HSA administrator's website for any additional information.

The same goes for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) you may have through your employer. Virtual doctor's visits are FSA-eligible.

7. Does HealthTap accept Medicare or Medicaid?

We're working on that. Currently, the answer is "no".

If you're on Medicare or Medicaid, we invite you to see how much you're paying out of pocket. We may still be able to save you money.

At the very least, we can save you the time and hassle of taking off work to go to a physical appointment. You can also save up to 75% on prescriptions through our prime membership. So going virtual may save you time and money.

8. How do you find out if insurance will cover a visit?

You don't like surprises. Neither do we. Fortunately, you can instantly see if insurance covers your visit on our virtual visit payment screen.

You'll also see a balance. That's your copay or payment. If you haven't met your deductible or they don't cover our service, then you'll see the full price.

If you don't have insurance or your insurance doesn't cover your visits, you'll want to sign up for our HealthTap Prime membership to get the lowest rates.

To sum this up

Yes, you can use health insurance, HSAs, and FSAs to see an online doctor. You can verify if/what they'll pay before you schedule, so no surprises.

If you don't have insurance, becoming a prime member can save you a lot of money.

Help us reduce the cost of healthcare, end care gaps, and deliver more accessible, high-quality care to all. Sign up for a free account.