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House Call Program - MedStar Total Elder Care

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Promoting the health and dignity of frail elders

Many elders struggle with disability and severe chronic illness and have difficulty getting to the doctor’s office. As a result, their health may suffer and lead to unnecessary ER visits, hospitalization, or nursing home care. In 1999, recognizing the needs of such elders and their families, we created the MedStar House Call program - MedStar Total Elder Care to provide full medical and social services that help elders remain in their homes with dignity. These teams now serve both Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, MD.

The MedStar House Call Program - MedStar Total Elder Care is nationally recognized for the quality and outcomes of our care. We serve patients at home with a team of geriatricians, nurse practitioners (NPs), social workers, office nurses, and coordinators. We make routine and urgent house calls (in-person or via telehealth with video or audio-only phone visits). Our medical staff is also available by phone 24/7 for urgent issues. We provide access to state-of-the-art hospital and specialty care. Additionally, our physician team follows our patients if and when they are admitted to the MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

The House Call program serves our neighbors in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.

Medstar house call program .

(operating under MedStar Total Elder Care, LLC) 

Our program services

Medical house calls and primary care by doctors and nurse practitioners with expertise in the care of older adults

Counseling and caregiver support by social workers and team staff

We offer tests and treatments at-home, and at the hospital as needed

Home delivery of most medications and equipment

Coordination of specialist care at MedStar Washington or MedStar Good Samaritan

Coordination of home nursing, rehab therapy, and hospice

Coordination of support services such as home aides and legal assistance

On-call physicians: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (by phone)

Mobile electronic health record (EHR)

D.C. Neighborhood only – Case management for Medicaid Elderly Persons with Disabilities (EPD) Waiver

Hospital care and specialists

Our team coordinates emergency, hospital, and specialty care at MedStar Washington and MedStar Good Samaritan. Patients may keep their previous specialist doctors; we work with them as needed. We refer to MedStar Good Samaritan, MedStar Washington, for home-based podiatry or other new specialist care. If House Call patients require hospitalization, and 911 is not needed, our team can arrange transportation and admission to MedStar Good Samaritan or MedStar Washington when beds are available.

Social work services

Our dedicated team of social workers provides:

Psychosocial assessment

Care Coordination

Development of an individual treatment plan

Information and referral to community resources and supports

Caregiver education, support, and counseling

Advocacy to connect with other service networks and legal counseling

Crisis intervention

Assistance with identifying alternative living arrangements, as needed

Eligibility

Enrollment and insurance.

To qualify for the MedStar House Call Program, patients must:

Be 65 years or older and have difficulty getting to the doctor’s office

Have Medicare, Medicaid, or another participating insurance plan

Stop seeing their previous primary doctor and agree to have us take on that role following the first visit

Live in a qualifying ZIP code

Our office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday.

When calling about new patient enrollment, please have the following information:

Patient's name, address, telephone number

Patient's date of birth and social security number

Patient's next of kin and emergency contact information

Patient's health insurance information (including type and group number)

Patient's current medical conditions and concerns

Ability to retrieve patient's recent medical records

Baltimore neighbors, print and complete our  Intake Questionnaire form

As in most doctor's offices, your main health insurance (such as Medicare) covers 80 percent of House Call visit fees, and any secondary insurance covers the other 20 percent. The patients who do not have any secondary insurance are responsible for the 20 percent co-pay.

Qualifying ZIP codes

View the map below to check if you live in a qualifying ZIP code. Call our Washington, D.C., or Baltimore location to confirm MedStar House Call Program eligibility at your exact address.

Washington, D.C.,

View our brochures

Baltimore region brochure

Washington, D.C., region brochure

Washington, D.C., region team - 202-877-0570

Physicians Eric De Jonge, MD, – Section Director Guy (Binny) Chang, MD Nurse Practitioners Nancy Sassa, CRNP - Chief Alexandra (Caitlin) Geary, CRNP Michelle Sullivan, CRNP Office Nurse Kendel Ogbeab, RN Social Workers Gretchen Nordstrom, LICSW - Chief Kellie Jones, LICSW Ruth Shea, LICSW Operations Manager Isi Koroma Care Coordinators LaWanda Holeman Sandra Mills Carrie Carmon Yvette Williams

Baltimore region team – 443-444-6100

Physicians George Taler, MD Sharareh Badri, MD Nurse Practitioner Dorothy Were, CRNP Adama Panda, CRNP Nurse Nerland Dimanche, RN, MSN Social Worker Marina Nellius, LMSW Operations Director Shereen Greene, MBA Care Coordinator Taurshica Lee

Operational support

Executive Director George Hennawai, MD AVP Operations Julie Beecher, MS, MPH

Baltimore Neighborhood

To learn more about our services in the Baltimore region, call us today.at 443-444-6100.

Washington, D.C., Neighborhood

To learn more about our services in the Washington, D.C., region, call us today at 202-877-0570

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Best Visiting Nurse Services

AccentCare is the best visiting nurse service, with performance ratings above industry standards

One day you or a loved one might need a visiting nurse for medical care in your home. In the United States, it’s a relatively common experience. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 4.5 million Americans are treated in their homes every year by more than 12,000 home healthcare agencies. Many people prefer the ease of having medical care in their own home, rather than having to travel to a hospital or doctor's office.

When the time comes, you’ll need to do some research to find a visiting nurse service that fits your personal needs. With that in mind, we reviewed over 40 home healthcare companies to find the best visiting nurse services available.

Best Visiting Nurse Services of 2024

• Best Overall: AccentCare
• Best for Post-Operative Assistance: Elara Caring
• Best Technology: Enhabit Home Health & Hospice
• Best for Specialized Care: Interim HealthCare
• Best for Hospice (End-of-Life Care): ProMedica Hospice
• Our Top Picks

Elara Caring

• Enhabit Home Health & Hospice
• Interim HealthCare
• ProMedica Hospice
• See More (2)

Final Verdict

• How to Choose

Methodology

Best overall : accentcare.

• Services offered : Personal care, behavioral health, rehabilitation, medical assistance, hospice and palliative care, care management, health alert systems
• Number of locations : 260 locations across 31 states

We selected AccentCare as the best overall provider of skilled home health care based on its accessibility (there are over 260 locations) and performance ratings that are above industry standards.

Programs for chronic conditions

Specialized programs, including behavioral health and stroke

Tele-monitoring program for early intervention

Some locations have different names, which can be confusing

Website’s location search page is hard to find

All of AccentCare's agencies are accredited by Community Health Accreditation Partners (CHAP) and have earned an overall 4.6-star quality rating and recognition from the We Honor Veterans program. AccentCare treats over 140,000 patients a year. Along with skilled home health care and private duty nursing, it offers hospice care, personal care services, and care management.

AccentCare also uses technology to supplement visiting nurse home care visits with tele-monitoring that can deliver biometric data (blood pressure, pulse, blood glucose, etc.) in close to real-time to keep the medical support team informed and ready to take action if necessary. AccentCare is the fifth largest provider of skilled home health in the U.S.

Best for Post-Operative Assistance : Elara Caring

• Services offered : Home health care, hospice care, rehabilitation, recovery care, personal care, behavioral care
• Number of locations : 200+ locations across 16 states

Elara Caring focuses on recovery and rehabilitation, excelling in nursing, physical therapy (PT) , occupational therapy (OT), and speech therapy . 

Also offers hospice care and behavioral health services

Delivers proactive customized care (CAREtinuum)

Only available in 16 states

Elara Caring's CAREtinuum program, a system that uses predictive analytics to identify patients at risk, sets it apart from other companies for post-operative assistance. For example, Elara’s CAREtinuum Fall Risk Program patients are 72% less likely to return to the hospital due to falling.

Elara Caring offers a wide range of in-home clinical services, treating more than 65,000 patients a day. Along with skilled home health, Elara Caring offers hospice care, personal care, and behavioral care. Its behavioral care supports a wide range of conditions, including depressive/anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar, and other disorders.

Even though Elara only has locations in about one-third of the states in the U.S., it is the ninth largest provider of skilled home health in the country.

Best Technology : Enhabit Home Health & Hospice

• Services offered : Home health care, hospice care, post-operative care, transition program from hospital to home, long-term care
• Number of locations : 355 locations across 34 states

We chose Enhabit Home Health & Hospice for its easy-to-use technology that makes a customer’s online experience simple, with comprehensive information quickly available.

Locations in 34 states

Variety of programs to enhance skilled nursing, including skilled therapy, balance and fall prevention, and orthopedics

Not all locations offer hospice

Website offers Spanish translation, but only portions of the site are available in Spanish

The online software at Enhabit streamlines each step, from referral processing to scheduling to management of physician orders, in order to optimize patient care and attention. This connection between patients, doctors, and in-home care providers makes processes easier and more transparent.

In addition, Enhabit’s web portal provides one-stop access to manage diagnoses, patient history, medications, and plan of care. Enhabit is also able to deliver better care for patients through predictive analysis, to identify potential risks.

Best for Specialized Care : Interim HealthCare

Interim Healthcare

• Services offered : Home health care, senior care, in-home nursing services, respite care, transitional care; at-home physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.
• Number of locations : 300+ locations across 41 states

We chose Interim HealthCare for its focus on home care for adults or children with special needs due to an injury or illness.

Promotes a more engaged existence at home for patients and their families

Offers caregivers more than 300 continuing education units

Available in nearly 50 states

Independently owned franchises mean inconsistencies in customer satisfaction

Interim HealthCare's services include care for adults and children who are developmentally delayed or need to use a feeding tube. Specialized offerings include home care for arthritis, multiple sclerosis , joint replacement, hypertension , paraplegia and quadriplegia, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Interim also offers many specialized interactive online training courses and live webinars for specific needs, such as dementia care. Interim HealthCare University provides extensive training resources available for free to employees, including over 300 lessons for both clinical and non-clinical staff and management in areas such as fall prevention, home care technology, and transitioning from a facility.

Interim’s HomeLife Enrichment program looks beyond basic needs to address the mind, spirit, and family as well as the body. The focus is to add purpose, dignity, and self-worth to basic safety and independence.

Interim HealthCare has a network of more than 300 independently owned franchises (employing nurses, aides, therapists, and other healthcare personnel) serving about 173,000 people every year.

Best for Hospice (End-of-Life Care) : ProMedica Hospice

• Services offered : Home hospice care, pain management, spiritual support, comforting treatments, bereavement services
• Number of locations : In 26 states

ProMedica Hospice provides the comfort and quality of life that hospice is known for, with fast and effective responses to patient discomforts such as pain, shortness of breath, and anxiety.

Advance directive not required for hospice care

Fully accredited

Provides employees with training, continuing education, and tuition assistance

Only available in 26 states across the U.S.

ProMedica Hospice has locations in 26 states, offering services such as pain and symptom management therapies. Heartland can provide hospice care in any “home”—including a private home, an assisted living facility, or a skilled nursing center.

While some hospices require a do not resuscitate (DNR) order before providing care, ProMedica (formerly Heartland Hospice Care) doesn’t. In situations where Medicare will be paying for the care, a DNR is not required because the care is considered palliative (providing comfort, instead of a cure or treatment).

ProMedica Hospice develops talent by offering its employees training and education opportunities at many of its locations. For example, its nursing assistant training programs include assistance with the cost of taking a state certification exam.

ProMedica Hospice also offers bereavement services, advanced planning services, and the possibility to grant funds to help offset financial burdens created by terminal illness.

While each visiting nurse service on this list has its strengths, AccentCare is our top pick due to its wide variety of specialized programs and high quality rating. The caretakers at AccentCare are skilled and experienced. Plus, home care visits are supplemented with an advanced tele-monitoring system.

Guide to Choosing a Visiting Nurse Service

When it comes to selecting the best visiting nurse services for you or a loved one, there are several factors you should look for to help inform your decision.

• Accreditation : Home healthcare agencies and companies must be licensed in order to operate in a state. As you research the best visiting nurse services, ensure that the agency you select is licensed in the state you live. Consult with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) or the Joint Commission, which offers accreditation to home health providers.
• Insurance : Check your available coverage and what potential out-of-pocket costs may be by asking any potential visiting nurse service if it accepts your insurance. Often, services take Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, or Veterans Administration benefits.
• Services needed : Depending on your needs, you may require more specialized nursing care. For example, visiting nurse services can be tailored to the patient if they need after-surgery care, rehabilitation therapy, medication administration, or personal care and companionship.
• Visiting hours : Many visiting home nurses operate between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. However, depending on the needs of the patient, in-home hours can often be adjusted. Ask a home healthcare provider if they also arrange for evening or overnight visits, should you need them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the duties of a visiting nurse.

A visiting nurse is a skilled medical professional, usually a registered nurse, who oversees all aspects of the medical care you receive at home, as ordered by a physician. This might include evaluating your medical condition and health needs, monitoring your vital signs and assessing risk factors, and administering medication. A visiting nurse is also trained to care for specific conditions such as COPD, diabetes, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. They can change dressings for surgical incisions or wounds and provide hospice care .

When your visiting nurse leaves, they make sure that you and your caregivers have the necessary information and supplies to support the plan of care.

Is a Visiting Nurse the Same as a Home Health Aide?

A visiting nurse is a skilled medical professional, while a home aide typically has limited formal medical training and provides services such as help with personal hygiene, meals, and transportation. A home health aide may stay in your home for several hours providing care, while a visiting nurse will stay for a shorter time to perform specific tasks.

Does Medicare Cover Visiting Nurse Services?

If you have Medicare, home health care, such as that provided by a visiting nurse, is covered 100% by Medicare when your doctor certifies that you meet the required guidelines. If you do not have Medicare, consult with your healthcare insurance to determine your policy parameters for coverage, including necessary copayments, if any.

Hospice (including a visiting nurse, if one is on your team) is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, the Veteran’s Health Administration, and private insurance. Although most hospice care is provided at home, it is also available at hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and dedicated hospice facilities.

Always double-check coverage with your insurance provider and ask the visiting nurse service if it accepts your insurance plan.

For this ranking, we looked at more than 40 home health providers. The primary criteria were the number of locations and national footprint, so the ranking would be useful to a large number of people. In addition to reviewing companies' areas of expertise, we also looked at their website interface, navigation, and usability and how they are ranked in areas such as quality care and patient satisfaction by services such as the U.S. government’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Home Health Star and Home Health Compare .

AE Pictures / Getty Images

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Home health care .

LexisNexis Risk Solutions. LexisNexis Risk Solutions ranks top home health and hospice providers .

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Find-A-Code Articles, Published 2021, September 28

When is it proper to bill nurse visits using 99211.

by   Christine Woolstenhulme, QMC QCC CMCS CPC CMRS Sep 28th, 2021 - Reviewed/Updated Aug 29th

When vaccines or injections are given in the office, coding can often get confusing; for example, is it correct to report a nurse visit using  99211  and an E/M office visit reporting  99202  ‑  99215  and include injection fees with the vaccine product? In addition, the reporting of evaluation and management (E/M) during the same visit where vaccines are administered is not always understood. The answer depends on whether the provider performs a medically necessary and significant, separately identifiable E/M visit, in addition to the immunization administration.

CMS states, when a separately identifiable E/M service (which meets a higher complexity level than CPT code  99211 ) is performed, in addition to drug administration services, you should report the appropriate E/M CPT code reported with modifier -25. Documentation should support the level of E/M service billed. For an E/M service provided on the same day, a different diagnosis is not required.

It is incorrect to bill a  99211  when the provider provides an E/M service that meets a higher complexity level than CPT code  99211 , you must bill the higher complexity, and you cannot bill for two services in one day. 

Charging for Nurse Visits

There are times when it is appropriate to report for a nurse visit using CPT code  99211 . The  Incident-to rule  applies when reporting this code, and services provided must be documented as medically necessary services, including the clinical history, clinical exam, making a clinical decision, and physician supervision. 

• NOTE: A nurse visit is not paid if billed with a drug administration service such as chemotherapy or non-chemotherapy drug infusion code, including therapeutic or diagnostic injection codes. The reasoning is because diagnostic IV infusion or injection services typically require direct physician supervision, and using  99211 is reported by qualified healthcare professionals other than physicians.

08/29/2023 NOTE: (These CPT codes,90782, 90783, 90784, or 90788  were deleted in 2006, but still showing in CMS - Claims processing manual) When reporting CPT codes 90782, 90783, 90784, or 90788 , CPT code 99211  cannot be reported. In addition, it is improper billing to report a visit solely for an injection that meets the definition of the injection codes. 

When the only reason for the visit is for the patient to receive an injection, payment may be made only for the injection (if it is covered). An office visit using  99211 would not be warranted where the services rendered did not constitute a regular office visit and a part of the plan of care and not at the patient's request.

Unlike other E/M codes  99202 - 99205 , and 99212 - 99215 , time alone cannot be used when reporting  99211  when selecting the appropriate code level for E/M services. Effective January 1, 2021, time was removed as an available code-selection criterion. The typical time spent on this code is five minutes.  

Other visits billed with  99211

Several other visits may be reported using  99211 , and nurses are not the only staff that can report this code; medical Assistants and technicians are also included under non-physician.  

Covid-19 Testing

According to  CMS ; Physician offices can use CPT code  99211  when office clinical staff furnish assessment of symptoms and specimen collection for Covid-19 incident to the billing professionals services for both new and established patients. When the specimen collection is performed as part of another service or procedure, such as a higher-level visit furnished by the billing practitioner, that higher-level visit code should be billed. The specimen collection would not be separately payable.

Examples from CMS

The following are examples of when  CPT  99211  might be used:

• Office visit for an established patient for blood pressure check and medication monitoring and advice. History, blood pressure recording, medications, and advice are documented, and the record establishes the necessity for the patient's visit.
• Office visit for an established patient for return to work certificate and advice (if allowed to be by other than the physician). Exam and recommendation are noted, and the Return to Work Certificate is completed, copied, and placed in the record.
• Office visit for an established patient on regular immunotherapy who developed wheezing, rash, and swollen arm after the last injection. Possible dose adjustments are discussed with the physician, and an injection is given. History, exam, dosage, and follow-up instructions are recorded.
• Office visit for an established patient's periodic methotrexate injection. Monitoring Lab tests, query signs and symptoms, obtain vital signs, repeat testing, and injection advised. All this information is recorded and reviewed by the physician. (Note that in this circumstance, if  99211  is billed, the injection code is not separately billable). An office visit for an established patient with a new or concerning bruise is checked by the nurse (whether or not the patient is taking anticoagulants), and the patient is advised on how to care for the bruise and what to be concerned about, and, if on anticoagulants, continuing or changing current dosage is advised. History, exam, dosage, and instructions are recorded and reviewed by the physician.
• Office visit for an established patient with atrial fibrillation who is taking anticoagulants and has no complaints . The patient is queried by the nurse, vital signs are obtained, the patient is observed for bruises and other problems, the prothrombin time is obtained, the physician is advised of prothrombin time and medication dose, and medication is continued at present dose with follow up prothrombin time in one month recommended. History, vital signs, exam, prothrombin time, INR, dosage, physician's decision, and follow-up instructions are recorded.

References/Resources

About christine woolstenhulme, qmc qcc cmcs cpc cmrs.

Christine Woolstenhulme, CPC, QCC, CMCS, CMRS, is a Certified coder and Medical Biller currently employed with Find-A-Code.  Bringing over 30 years of insight, business knowledge, and innovation to the healthcare industry. Establishing a successful Medical Billing Company from 1994 to 2015, during this time, Christine has had the opportunity to learn all aspects of revenue cycle management while working with independent practitioners and in clinic settings. Christine was a VAR for AltaPoint EHR software sales, along with management positions and medical practice consulting. Understanding the complete patient engagement cycle and developing efficient processes to coordinate teams ensuring best practice standards in healthcare. Working with payers on coding and interpreting ACA policies according to state benchmarks and insurance filings and implementing company procedures and policies to coordinate teams and payer benefits.

When is it Proper to Bill Nurse Visits using 99211. (2021, September 28). Find-A-Code Articles. Retrieved from https://www.findacode.com/articles/nurse-visits-and-injections-36866.html

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Walgreens virtual healthcare: online doctor & prescriptions.

Online doctor visits, on demand

See a doctor or nurse practitioner online, get a diagnosis and fill prescriptions, if needed, from the comfort of home.

Walk-ins welcome

How it works

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Illness & infection

Women’s health

Allergy & asthma

Heart health

Sexual health.

Skin & hair

Urgent care

Type of visit: Video visit

Required for treatment: N/A

Live urgent care visits offer personalized discussions with a healthcare provider for a variety of conditions.

We recommend you see an in-person provider for your care if:

• You are experiencing chest pain or palpitations, difficulty speaking or slurred speech, facial droop or numbness, difficulty breathing, difficulty moving or feeling arms or legs, problems with your eyes (other than pink eye), or recently have fainted.
• You are seeking care for ear pain or dental pain.
• You are seeking care for a UTI and your sex assigned at birth is male
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding
• You are seeking controlled substances or durable medical equipment
• You are seeking a physical exam, lab work, or imaging orders
• You are seeking medications for pain, sleep, ADHD or anxiety
• If you are seeking care for strep throat, please note that based on recent clinical guidelines, in-person strep testing is required in many, but not all cases. We do not offer in-person strep testing; however, we can provide guidance on whether it would be appropriate based on your symptoms.

Commonly prescribed medications:

Varies based on patient symptoms. Recommended treatments may include online prescriptions, over-the-counter treatment recommendations, and/or self-care strategies.

Cough, Cold, Sinus Infection

You may be a good candidate for virtual care if:

• You are currently experiencing symptoms consistent with sinusitis, such as runny nose, stuffy nose or congestion
• You have had 3 or more sinus infections within the past year
• Your symptoms have been ongoing for more than 1 month or your symptoms have returned after having recently been treated for sinusitis with antibiotics
• You are having difficulty breathing that is unrelated to nasal congestion, you have pain or stiffness in your neck, changes in vision or a fever greater than 101°F

Depending on your symptoms, our providers may recommend prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, home remedies or seeking in-person care. Prescriptions may include antibiotics (such as Amoxicillin or Augmentin) for sinus infection, Benzonatate (Tessalon Perles) for cough or other symptomatic treatments for colds.

Type of visit: Chat

Required for treatment: Photo of left and/or right eye

• You are experiencing symptoms consistent with pink eye, such as redness, itchiness and crusting of the eye(s)
• You wear contact lenses
• You have a recent history of trauma to the eye or concern about something in your eye
• You have had eye surgery within the past 2 months
• You are experiencing blurred, impaired, or changes in vision, sensitivity to light, flashing lights or floaters, headache with nausea, inability to open eye or keep it open, redness beyond the eye, pain or tenderness in or around the eye

Commonly prescribed medications: Antibiotic eye drops, such as Erythromycin, trimethoprim-polymyxin B and ofloxacin

Required for treatment: Photo of lips

If you are also experiencing an outbreak of genital herpes, please start a genital herpes visit where we can address both oral and genital herpes.

• You have a current oral cold sore outbreak
• You have had 3 or more cold sore outbreaks within the last year
• Your last outbreak was within the past 2 weeks
• You are seeking cold sore suppression/prevention treatment or refills

Commonly prescribed medications: Valacyclovir, Acyclovir, Famiclovir

Type of visit: Chat (ages 18–64); Video Visit (ages 18+)

Required for treatment: Photo of a positive COVID test result from within 5 days of first symptom (such as an at-home test, a test result from Walgreens or another healthcare provider)

• You are interested in a COVID treatment plan that may include Paxlovid
• You are able to upload a photo of your positive COVID test result and you are within 5 days of your first symptoms
• You are experiencing a fever of 103°F or greater, dizziness or lightheadedness, chest tightness, chest pain or wheezing, difficulty urinating, lower leg, ankle, or foot swelling, problems with memory and/or confusion, or problems eating/keeping down food or liquids
• You have hepatitis, cirrhosis, elevated liver enzymes or severe renal impairment

Commonly prescribed medications: Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir)

Typical number of refills if prescribed: 1 pack, 0 refills

Required for treatment: Photo of a positive flu test result. If you don’t have a positive flu test, you can schedule a Flu & COVID test for $19.99 at Walgreens.

If you were exposed to someone who tested positive for flu, such as a household member, and you have not been tested for flu, please select Video Visit and you can discuss treatment options with the provider.

• You are able to upload a photo of your positive flu test result with your name, date of birth and date. Or, you were in contact with someone who was diagnosed with flu and you are at high risk for complications from flu (please select Video Visit if you do not have a positive flu test result)
• You have had flu-like symptoms for less than 48 hours, you are at increased risk for complications from flu or you are in contact with someone who is immunocompromised

Commonly prescribed medications: Tamiflu (Oseltamivir)

Birth Control

Required for treatment: Documented blood pressure reading within the last 12 months, such as a photo of a medical record from a patient portal or an at-home blood pressure monitor reading. Photo should include your name, date of birth and date of reading. Don’t have a recent blood pressure reading? Get a blood pressure monitor from Walgreens with 30-minute Pickup or FREE 1-hour Delivery on orders $35+.

• You are interested in the following forms of birth control: oral pill, patch, vaginal ring, diaphragm and internal condoms, starting a new type of birth control or refilling your current form of birth control
• You are a biological female of reproductive age
• You can provide documentation of a blood pressure reading from within the past year
• You use tobacco and are 35 years or older
• You have a history of breast cancer, bariatric surgery, stroke, heart disease, cirrhosis or lupus
• You are seeking Depo-Provera, Phexxi, temporary menses delay, IUD or Nexplanon.

Commonly prescribed medications: Sprintec, Junel, Norethindrone (such as Ortho Micronor), Nuvaring

Typical number of refills if prescribed: One-year supply

Urinary tract infection

Type of visit: Video Visit

• You have had symptoms for less than 2 weeks (pain with peeing, urgent need to pee and/or frequent peeing)
• This is your first UTI in the past 3 months
• Your sex assigned at birth was female
• You are experiencing fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, flank, back, or abdominal pain or unusual vaginal discharge

Commonly prescribed medications: Macrobid, Bactrim, Cephalexin

Emergency contraception

Type of visit: Chat or Video Visit, varies by state. Before you pay for your visit, we will let you know if we need to conduct a Video Visit in your state.

Required for treatment: Height and weight

• You are a biological female
• You had unprotected sex within the past 5 days
• You are vomiting
• You have a history of malabsorptive bariatric procedures

Commonly prescribed medications: Ella (ulipristal), Plan B (levonorgestrel)

Plan B and Ella are both safe and effective forms of emergency contraception to reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy. Plan B is available over the counter while Ella is only available via prescription. Ella can be taken up to 5 days after unprotected sex and has a higher effectiveness rate compared to Plan B. Cost of over-the-counter versus prescription medications may vary based on health insurance coverage.

Yeast Infection

• You are currently experiencing symptoms consistent with yeast infection, such as itchiness, burning and irritation of the vagina
• You have had a yeast infection in the past
• Your sex assigned at birth is female
• You are experiencing abdominal, pelvic or back pain
• You are experiencing nausea, vomiting, fever or chills
• You have a concern for STIs or bacterial infection
• You have visible vaginal lesions
• You experience recurrent yeast infections (4 or more per year)
• You have a recurrent yeast infection within 7 days of recent treatment
• You are seeking preventative treatment

Commonly prescribed medications: Fluconazole

Asthma medication refill

Required for treatment: Photo of your most recent asthma prescription (pill bottle, inhaler or medical record)

• You need a refill (30 day supply) of your most recent asthma medication
• You do not have a prior history of asthma
• You have poorly controlled asthma
• You are currently experiencing an asthma exacerbation
• You have concern for an underlying infection
• It has been more than 1 year since you have last had an asthma management visit with your PCP or specialist

Please note:

• We do not offer treatment adjustments
• We do not offer steroids for exacerbations
• Daily medications will only be refilled if you have been less than 2 weeks without medication
• Episodic medications (such as inhalers) will only be refilled if you have been less than 6 months without medication

Commonly prescribed medications: Albuterol inhaler refills, refills of your current daily medication for asthma

Typical number of refills if prescribed: 30 day supply with 0 refills per year

Patients may not receive more than one prescription every 12 months through this service

Seasonal Allergies

Required for treatment: Photos of eyes, nose and back of throat

• You have recurring seasonal allergy symptoms, which may impact the eyes, nose, sinuses and skin (such as clear nasal discharge, past history of seasonal or environmental allergies and seeking symtomatic relief) (If you are not sure what is causing your symptoms, we recommend seeking care through the Urgent Care visit or Cold, Cough, Sinus Infection visit.)
• You have eye or facial pain, fever or chills, are coughing up yellow or green phlegm, or have yellow or green drainage from the nose
• You are having a severe allergic reaction (such as, shortness of breath, wheezing, swollen lips or tongue)
• You may have a viral infection, eye injury, abrasion or ulceration
• You have a history of asthma

Commonly prescribed medications: Montelukast (Singulair), Fluticasone nasal spray (Flonase), Cetirizine (Zyrtec)

Providers may prescribe medications that are also available over-the-counter. OTC medications may not be covered by insurance and it may be cheaper to get medication through a prescription. Insurance coverage and pricing varies by plan. Typical number of refills if prescribed: Montelukast: 90 tablets, 1 refill

Blood Pressure Medication Refill

Required for treatment: Photo of current prescriptions for high blood pressure (picture of pill bottle(s) or medical record)

• You have been previously diagnosed with hypertension and are seeking a refill of your current medication
• You are on 3 or more high blood pressure medications
• You are experiencing headache, blurry vision, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, severe back pain, confusion, lightheadedness, fainting, dry mouth or thirst, shortness of breath, chest pain or tightness, palpitations or racing heart
• You are seeking a refill of a blood thinner medication
• You have been off of your current medication for more than a week

Commonly prescribed medications: Diuretics, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, Beta Blockers, & Calcium channel blockers, including combination pills

Typical number of refills if prescribed: We provide one 90-day refill within a 12 month period if your provider determines it is clinically appropriate for you. If you need another refill within 12 months, please follow up with your primary care provider.

Erectile dysfunction

Required for treatment:

• Proof of most recent ED prescription (photo of pill bottle or medical record)
• Proof of documented blood pressure reading within the last 12 months (such as a photo of a medical record from a patient portal or an at-home blood pressure monitor reading) Don’t have a recent blood pressure reading? Get a blood pressure monitor from Walgreens with 30-minute Pickup or FREE 1-hour Delivery on orders $35+.
• You have been previously diagnosed with erectile dysfunction and are overdue for a provider visit or need a refill of your medication
• You are a biological male
• You have a documented blood pressure reading within the last 12 months
• You can provide a photo of your most recent ED prescription (pill bottle or medical record)
• You have had elevated blood pressure in the past 12 months
• You have a family history of heart attack or heart disease in persons less than 55 years of age
• You have recently experienced chest pain, dizziness, fainting or seizures or have heart disease

Commonly prescribed medications: Cialis (tadalafil), Viagra (sildenafil), Levitra (vardenafil)

Typical number of refills if prescribed: 90 day supply with 3 refills. Early refills will not be provided.

Genital herpes

Required for treatment: Photo of your most recent prescription medication used for genital herpes

• You have a current outbreak of genital herpes
• You have previously been diagnosed and treated for genital herpes
• You are seeking genital herpes suppression/prevention treatment or refills
• This is your first genital outbreak
• There is concern for a concurrent bacterial infection
• You have atypical lesions on areas of the body that are not the genital or oral region
• You have lesions near the eye area
• You have neck pain, fever, severe headache, nausea or vomiting
• You have had 3 or more outbreaks within the last 12 months

Commonly prescribed medications: Valacyclovir tablet, Acyclovir tablet, Famciclovir tablet

Acne, anti-wrinkle & dark spots

Required for treatment: Photo of front of face, left side of face and right side of face

• You are interested in topical treatment for mild-moderate facial acne, wrinkles, or dark spots
• You have severe scarring, acne on multiple parts of your body or cystic acne
• You need the following prescriptions: isotretinoin (also known as Accutane, Zenatane, Absorica, Myorisan, Claravis, or Amnesteem), oral antibiotics or spironolactone

Commonly prescribed medications: Tretinoin (for acne & anti-wrinkle), Benzoyl Peroxide (for acne), Topical Clindamycin (for acne), Birth control (for hormonal acne), Hydroquinone (for dark spots)

Typical number of refills if prescribed: 2 refills

Men’s hair loss

• Photo of hairline and scalp
• You have male pattern balding (hair loss around your hairline and on the top of your head)
• You are interested in regrowing your hair or preventing future hair loss
• You have significant hair loss on other parts of your body
• You have pain, itching or burning of the scalp
• You have HIV, a weakened immune system, a rheumatological disorder or autoimmune diseases

Commonly prescribed medications: Propecia (finasteride); we do not prescribe Oral Minoxidil

Typical number of refills if prescribed: 90 day supply, 3 refills

When you need care now, not later

No appointment needed

Most visits start within 15 minutes of your request being submitted.

Extended hours, 7 days a week: 8 am-midnight EST (5 am-9 pm PST)

Currently available in: CA, FL, GA, IL, MI, NV, NC, OH and TX

Low & upfront fees

Transparent pricing before your visit with low-cost services from $33 to $75.

Pay with credit card, debit card, HSA or FSA card. Insurance currently not accepted.

Prepare for your visit

To begin your visit, you’ll need to:

• Upload a government-issued photo ID and your photo to verify your identity
• Answer a few medical questions to determine if this service is a good fit for your needs
• Enable your video camera and microphone access for treatments that require a live video visit
• Use the current version of Chrome, Firefox or Safari for best results when accessing the service

Prescriptions made easy

Frequently Asked Questions

• Start a visit request anytime. Select your treatment area and answer clinical intake interview questions regarding your condition. Some treatment areas require you to provide photos, for example, of the affected area or of a previously filled medication.
• The next available provider licensed in your state will send you a message through your patient portal when they are ready to connect. Doctors and nurse practitioners are available between the hours of 8 am to midnight EST (5 am to 9 pm PST), seven days a week. If you request a visit overnight, a provider will reach out to you as soon as they are available, which may be the following morning.
• To get started, click on a treatment area above to learn more about our visit types, what we treat and typical wait times.

All treatment areas require you to upload a government-issued photo ID, as well as a selfie, to verify your identity. All visits require patients to be age 18 or older. Each treatment area has unique requirements to receive care. Please click on a treatment area above to learn more about its requirements.

To access this service, you must be physically located in one of the following states at the time of the visit: CA, FL, GA, MI, IL, NV, NC, OH or TX. Urgent care is not yet available in MI. Please check back soon to learn where we are growing next—we plan to offer virtual care to patients in additional states in the future.

Visits can be conducted on a mobile device, tablet or desktop computer. We recommend using the most recent version of Chrome, Firefox or Safari to access the service. Microsoft Edge is known to cause issues in video-based visits. Internet Explorer is not supported. For video visits, you will need to enable video camera and microphone access to interact with a clinician. Video visits are conducted on a HIPAA-compliant platform. Click on a treatment area above to learn more.

Patient support can be reached at 866-740-7721 between the hours of 8 am to midnight EST (5 am to 9 pm PST), seven days a week. You may also send a message through the patient portal in your Walgreens Virtual Healthcare account.

Payment & insurance

Walgreens Virtual Healthcare visits are $33 - $75. Click on a treatment area above to see the price of each visit type. Insurance is currently not accepted for virtual care visits; however, you may pay for your visit with your HSA/FSA card. Insurance may be used to purchase your prescription, if applicable. We plan to accept insurance for virtual care visits in the future.

Yes, you can use insurance to pay for most medication. Insurance coverage for prescription drugs varies. Please talk with your insurer or pharmacy directly about any questions regarding your prescription drug coverage. The cost of medication is not included in the cost of your visit. Looking to pay for your medication out of pocket? Find lower prescription prices at Walgreens with our free search tool, Walgreens Rx Savings Finder , powered by RxSense ® .

We accept debit, credit and HSA/FSA cards.

The fee you pay is for a clinical assessment, which may be conducted via a live visit or an offline (asynchronous) review of your clinical records by a Walgreens Virtual Healthcare provider. They will review your clinical situation and use their independent clinical judgment to recommend the most appropriate treatment option for you. This may include prescribing medication, recommending over-the-counter medications or home care strategies and/or recommending that you visit an in-person provider for further evaluation (such as an urgent care center, emergency department, primary care provider or specialist). We cannot offer refunds solely because the provider determines a prescription medication is not the best option for you, cannot be safely prescribed based on the information available, does not prescribe your preferred medication or due to issues related to pharmacy medication pickup.

If you are unable to complete your visit, please let us know right away by logging in to your Walgreens Virtual Healthcare account and sending us a chat message, or by calling us at 866-740-7721, so we can cancel your consultation before a provider reviews your intake. Your credit card will be charged after the provider reviews your intake and shares their recommendations for next steps.

If you have questions about your care, please log in to your Walgreens Virtual Healthcare account and send us a chat message or call us at 866-740-7721.

Our provider team is made up of experienced doctors and nurse practitioners who offer high-quality treatment and care. You will be matched with a doctor or nurse practitioner licensed in the state where you are located at the time of your visit. Service availability varies by state.

Providers & prescriptions

After your visit, if you would like your records sent to your primary care physician, you can use the Walgreens Virtual Care patient portal to send us a message and request that a copy of your records be sent to your primary care physician.

Please click on a treatment area above to learn more about what medications are commonly prescribed, as well as common exclusions. We do not prescribe any medications that are listed as controlled substances by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) or state law. This includes narcotics, amphetamine stimulants and benzodiazepines.

Disclaimers

Prescription based on medical evaluation and not guaranteed.

Walgreens-affiliated medical practices are independently owned and operated by licensed physicians who provide services using the Walgreens virtual care program telehealth platform. For more information about the relationship between Walgreens and the medical practices click here .

Walgreens Health Medical Group California P.C. is a California professional medical corporation utilizing the fictitious name “Walgreens Health Medical Group California P.C.” pursuant to Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 2415. To view the Fictitious Name Permit click here .

Look out for your health

A UnitedHealthcare® HouseCalls visit is a no-cost, yearly health check-in that can make a big difference. 

Call 1-866-799-5895 ,

TTY 711,  to schedule your visit.

HouseCalls brings yearly check-in care

To you at home.

Connect for up to a full hour of 1-on-1 time with a licensed health care practitioner. Every visit includes a physical, tailored recommendations on health care screenings and plenty of time to ask questions that matter to you.

After your visit, HouseCalls connects with your primary care provider (PCP) to help keep them informed about your health. It's a great way to feel confident knowing an extra set of eyes is looking out for you between regular PCP visits.

What is a HouseCalls visit? 

[Text On Screen – SAY HELLO TO HOUSE CALLS]

Say hello to HouseCalls.

[Text On Screen- PAID ACTOR PORTRAYAL.]

HouseCalls is our way of looking out for your health, so you can focus on your future. Here’s what it’s all about.

[Text On Screen – HERE’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT]

Once a year, a licensed health care practitioner can come to your home to spend up to an hour with you on your health and wellness.

[Text On Screen- EASY, CONVENIENT, INFORMATIVE]

It's designed to be easy, convenient and informative.

[Text On Screen- HEAD-TO-TOE EXAM]

[Text On Screen- IMPORTANT HEALTH SCREENINGS]

[Text On Screen- HEALTH GOALS DISCUSSION]

You'll get a head-to-toe exam, important health screenings and plenty of time to talk about your health goals.

We'll also provide guidance on managing your health and if you need it, give you referrals for other health plan resources and services.

HouseCalls is a great way to stay on top of your health between regular doctor's visits.

At the end of your visit, you'll get a personalized checklist so you can feel more confident in what to discuss with your regular doctor.

[Text On Screen- COST? NO EXTRA COST TO YOU]

[Text On Screen- INCLUDED IN YOUR HEALTH PLAN]

If you're wondering how much all of this is going to cost, the best part is, there is no extra cost to you. It's included in your health plan.

[Text On Screen- HOUSECALLS VIDEO VISITS ARE NOT AVAILABLE WITH ALL PLANS.]

A HouseCalls visit takes place in the comfort of your own home or by video if you prefer.

So, say hello to HouseCalls and invite us in for a visit today.

[Text On Screen – SAY HELLO TO HOUSE CALLS TODAY]

Access one of the most popular UnitedHealthcare offerings, at no cost to you

Schedule your visit

Call 1-866-799-5895 , TTY 711

Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–8:30 p.m. ET

Your in-home health check-in

• Up to a full hour with a licensed health care practitioner
• Ask the questions that matter to you and get valuable health tips
• No cost — it's included in your health plan

Get rewarded

Meet your friendly housecalls medical staff.

Just like the professionals you see in your regular doctor’s office, our licensed health care practitioners may be nurse practitioners, physician assistants or medical doctors. They’re state licensed and maintain national certification.

We perform background checks on these professionals to provide additional peace of mind for our members. Your loved ones, caregivers or friends are welcome to be present during the visit — it’s up to you.

Ready to open the door to better health?

Getting ready for your housecalls appointment, tips to help you prepare:  .

• Wear shoes that are easily removed to have your feet checked
• Make a list of upcoming appointments with your PCP and specialists
• Make sure all of your medications, both prescription and over-the-counter vitamins and supplements, are in their original bottles for our review
• If you record blood pressure readings, please have your results available for review
• If you have diabetes, please have your blood glucose meter handy
• Make a list of questions and concerns you’d like to discuss

During your appointment

• You'll have up to a full hour of 1-on-1 time with your health care practitioner for a physical, select lab tests, health screenings and more
• A HouseCalls visit can be completed while sitting at your kitchen table or in the living room, and you can use the time to ask any health-related questions
• The visit is tailored to your individual needs, so screenings and conversation topics can vary

After your appointment

Less travel time. more face time..

Think of HouseCalls as an extra layer of care — valuable 1-on-1 time you don't always get in the doctor's office. And it's tailored to your individual needs.

Schedule today

To secure your spot, call us at  1-866-799-5895 , TTY 711

Have a question?

Find answers to frequently asked questions.  

If you have a specific question about your upcoming appointment or need to reschedule, call us at 1-866-799-5895, TTY 711 , Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–8:30 p.m. ET

We're here to help.  

A guide to health care providers, from doctors to nurse practitioners

I n 2021, Nicole Barbosa, a media relations specialist in Austin, Texas, moved back to the US after more than a decade abroad. Getting medical care established stateside was a priority for her — but when she tried to make an appointment with a primary care doctor at a local health care system she trusted, she was surprised to find herself at the end of a months-long wait list.

Meanwhile, a physician assistant in the same practice was available within days. At first, Barbosa wasn’t sure how physician assistants were different from doctors. Still, she booked the appointment, and when she saw the provider the following week, she was delighted by the unhurried pace. “She answered all my questions without me feeling like she was rushed or needed to quickly move on to her next appointment or task,” she says.

The care was so good that when her provider left the practice, Barbosa signed up to see another physician assistant. During visits, “I just always feel valued and seen,” she says.

Americans seeking health care are increasingly likely to get it from people who aren’t doctors. The reasons are partly related to supply and demand: A nationwide physician shortage has been mounting for decades. And while the pipeline for producing more doctors hasn’t widened — something that would literally require an act of Congress — schools that train nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) have proliferated. As a result, nurse practitioner numbers have tripled since 2010 , and there are nearly twice as many physician assistants now as then . In primary care clinics, emergency departments, operating rooms, and medical specialty offices, these medical professionals are now doing a lot of the same tasks doctors do.

These changes may be imperceptible to many people, but if you’ve noticed them and you’re wondering how to think about it, you’re not alone. Maybe you, like Barbosa, are trying to choose a primary care provider and want to know more about the professions. Or maybe your health system has assigned you to see a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant and you’re wondering what that means.

Whatever your situation, it’s worth understanding the strengths each profession brings to the work of patient care, and what makes for a good fit between providers and people; just keep in mind that within each role, there’s a lot of variation in practice style based on personality differences and variability between practices.

Questions for yourself

What do I want from a visit with my provider?

The differences in the training that doctors, NPs, and PAs get before entering practice has a lot to do with how they approach patient care — and those differences can have a big impact on what happens during your visits.

Doctors and physician assistants are trained in the medical model, explains Joanne Spetz , a health economist at the University of California San Francisco who studies the nursing workforce. “A lot of medicine is around understanding body systems, understanding diseases — basically understanding how body systems get screwed up,” she says. People trained in these models focus largely on how to diagnose and treat illness and injury, and also to some degree on how to prevent illness.

The nursing model is more holistic, says Spetz. The nursing paradigm, which guides nurse practitioners’ training, considers not only the physical needs and ailments of the patient, but also other factors like the patient’s personal goals and situation. For example, she says, if a patient has pain, a nurse would seek to identify the physical causes but also understand how the pain is impacting the patient’s social and emotional function — whether they can eat, whether the pain makes them withdraw from family, whether other stressors make it difficult to manage the pain.

Another important distinction is in the cost to employ members of each profession: While physician assistants and nurse practitioners earn around $125,000 annually, physicians earn about $230,000. Because doctors’ time costs their employers more than other providers’ time, many health care systems allot less of it to the patients they see.

Together, these factors mean that NPs and PAs may be scheduled for longer visits than doctors are with the patients they see in primary care settings, which means more time to answer questions and provide patient education.

It’s not clear if these visits are actually longer, says Tamara Ritsema , a physician assistant and professor at George Washington University’s PA program. Due to a quirk in documenting PA and NP visits within the US health care system, it’s hard to gather data on differences in visit length between provider types. It’s possible patients just feel like some visits are longer because of variations in providers’ styles.

“We hear this all the time from people: ‘My PA or my NP spends more time with me,’” says Ritsema. “We do not know if that is true or if they are leveraging better communication strategies, such as sitting down while they talk to the patient, or using more patient-friendly language.”

Because they’re trained in the nursing model, NPs in particular are primed to do patient-centered coaching. This includes helping patients near the end of life prioritize quality of life as they see it, says Spetz — to “elicit what your personal bucket list is before we start recommending all of these treatments.” Nurse practitioners’ holistic approach is a specific asset in addiction medicine , according to some of Spetz’s research. Other studies have shown patients are more likely to get health education and counseling services , including advice on quitting smoking, from NPs and PAs than physicians.

How medically complicated am I?

The road to becoming a doctor is substantially longer than the paths to other medical professions. Before they can practice independently, doctors spend four years in medical school and three to seven years in an on-the-job training program called residency; meanwhile, typical physician assistant and nurse practitioner training programs take two to three years to complete. (All of these programs require undergraduate degrees for admission; NP programs require an undergraduate nursing degree.)

During medical school, doctors take a range of courses on the invisible mechanisms that keep the body working — and that underpin disease — in coursework that includes biochemistry, pharmacology, genetics , microbiology, and other hard sciences. Once they start taking care of patients, a lot of their education is aimed at connecting the dots between those complex mechanisms and the diseases they’re seeing in clinics and on hospital wards. By the time the least experienced doctor enters the workforce, they’ve had at least 10,000 hours of clinical experience.

Physician assistants take an abbreviated version of this educational path, and like medical school graduates, finish their programs prepared to work in any medical setting. Also like medical school graduates, they need more on-the-job training before they’re considered competent in their field, says Ritsema. But while that training is formalized for doctors as a residency program with clear requirements, it’s less formally prescribed for PAs, she says. A PA fresh out of school has a minimum of 2,000 clinical experience hours under their belts. Because many PA programs require prior health care work as a prerequisite, many of these professionals hit the workforce with substantially more clinical experience.

Nurse practitioner trainees also take a variety of didactic courses that overlap to some degree with PAs’ classes. However, they choose which population they want to work with while they’re still in school — whether that’s all comers or newborns, children, women, older adults, people with mental illness — and their clinical training prepares them to work with that population in particular. By the time they graduate from NP school, these professionals have completed at least 1,000 clinical experience hours — a figure that may be higher depending on what state they’re in.

These differences in training mean that if you “have super-complex medical conditions and all your drugs are interacting with each other,” a doctor caring for you has an advantage over other providers, says Spetz. After all that practice caring for complicated patients, physicians are used to puzzling out how dysfunction at the microscopic level can cause disease, and choosing diagnostic strategies to untangle a web of confusing symptoms or laboratory results.

Not everyone’s a medical mystery. Plenty of research studies have shown that for less complex patients — people without multiple chronic conditions who aren’t taking tons of medications — the care NPs and PAs provide is just as safe and cost-effective as the care doctors provide.

NPs and PAs who work as part of collaborative and supportive teams are most likely to have good outcomes, says Candice Chen , a pediatric doctor and researcher who studies primary care workforce issues at George Washington University. An environment that enables them — and doctors — to ask for and receive help when they need it is a key ingredient of quality care.

There’s currently a lot of behind-the-scenes tussling among professional societies and state medical boards over how much care NPs and PAs should be able to provide without a physician collaborator. But these professions are not interchangeable with doctors, says Candice Chen. Although NP and PA care is in many cases equivalent or even better than doctors’ care, a recent study suggests NPs caring for more complex patients at Veterans Health Administration emergency departments had worse outcomes than doctors.

On teams where providers can easily ask for help, patients who need providers with certain skills are more likely to get seen by those providers. “The question becomes, how do you put those teams together so that everybody knows where their limits are, and knows where to get help?” says Candice Chen. More experienced professionals are also more likely to deliver high-quality care, even to complex patients, says Spetz. Research backs her up: In the VA study, “performance differences between the two professions become smaller as provider experience increases,” says Yiqun Chen , a University of Illinois Chicago health economist who coauthored the report.

Regardless of who’s providing your care, it’s not just education and experience that determine whether that care is good, says Ritsema. The best NPs, PAs, and doctors all know when they’re in over their heads, and need to call for help. “The people that make me feel secure are the ones that put my care above their ego,” she says.

That means being open to asking questions of the other members of their teams — and to being asked questions by you.

Questions to ask a provider to see if they’re a good fit

What’s your training and background?

In general, Americans can be fairly confident that their provider has been trained to a high standard, says Ritsema. But because PAs’ and NPs’ on-the-job training is less formalized than that of physicians, it may be harder to determine the level of experience these providers have just by looking them up on a website.

It’s okay to ask your provider what their training and experience is, says Ritsema: “To be honest, if your provider, whoever that is — doctor, PA, NP — is unwilling to answer that in an uncomplicated way, that might raise a red flag to me,” she says.

Where would you go if you needed help with my care?

Good providers know what they don’t know, are unafraid to ask for help when they need it, and have resources they can draw on in those situations — regardless of their degree, says Candice Chen. But as a patient, it can be hard to determine whether your provider and the practice setting they’re in meet that description.

If the practice has a website, you can look in advance to see what the mix of providers looks like, as their colleagues will probably be their first stop for support. You can also ask a new provider what happens if something serious comes up, or if you need a referral.

It’s harder to determine whether a practice truly has a collegial and supportive environment where providers are encouraged to seek help. Here’s where it’s useful to talk to any people in your social network who work in health care, says Ritsema. “Health professionals recognize those characteristics of humility in other health professionals, and they know who the cowboys are” — that is, which ones to avoid, she says.

Watching how providers interact when you’re at the practice can also be incredibly informative, says Spetz. “The medical assistants are like your canaries in the coal mine,” she says: If the providers are brusque and condescending toward these and other support staff in the office, it can be a sign of a dysfunctional hierarchy — not the kind of functional team that encourages requesting support and insight from others.

Are you the right person to answer this question?

Medicine is not a field that any single health care provider can know everything about: Increasing specialization and rapid changes in technology means even the best providers will have substantial knowledge gaps about conditions they don’t see on a regular basis.

So while it’s reasonable to expect a certain level of knowledge from your health care provider, expecting them to answer questions that aren’t in their purview can set you up for disappointment, and lead you to misjudge a good provider as incompetent. If you ask a primary care provider about the intricacies of a vascular surgery, “the PA or NP in primary care — and, frankly, the doc in primary care — is not going to have the answer to that,” says Ritsema.

It’s okay if you don’t know who to ask about what subject — and it’s okay to ask who to ask! Just be aware that hearing “I don’t know” from a provider doesn’t always indicate a knowledge deficiency that would be fixed if you switched providers. Sometimes, they’re not the right person to answer that question in the first place.

You can change providers

If your provider isn’t able to get answers to your questions within their specialty, or their repeated efforts to diagnose or treat a medical condition don’t seem to be going anywhere, it’s okay to ask for a second opinion from a different provider, either in the same practice or in a different one. “One of the things we probably need to do is to empower people to not let politeness be the enemy of advocating for themselves,” says Candice Chen.

Ritsema agrees. “If you don’t have confidence in your medical provider for whatever reason,” she says, “schedule an appointment with somebody else who you think will make you feel more confident.”

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What Happens During a Wellness Visit?

Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

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Importance of a Wellness Visit

• What to Expect
• How to Prepare

A wellness visit is a health check-up that is typically conducted on an annual basis. It involves visiting your healthcare provider to check your vitals, screen for health conditions , and develop a healthcare plan for your needs.

The aim of a wellness visit is to promote health and prevent disease and disability.

This article explains why annual wellness visits are important, what you can expect during the process, and how to prepare for it.

These are some reasons why wellness visits are important.

Prevent Diseases

Most healthcare visits are categorized under diagnostic care; when you have a health problem, you visit a healthcare provider who assesses your symptoms, diagnoses your condition, and prescribes a treatment plan.

A wellness visit on the other hand is a preventative healthcare measure. The aim of preventative healthcare is to help you maintain good health and prevent health problems before they develop. The goal is to help you live a longer, healthier life.

Wellness visits assess your lifestyle, evaluate health risks, and screen for health conditions, in order to prevent health problems or catch them in the early stages. Instead of waiting to see a healthcare provider once you have a health problem, the idea is to be proactive about your health and work with your healthcare provider to prevent health problems.

People tend to think that it’s fine to skip their annual wellness visit if they’re feeling healthy. However, a 2021 study notes that wellness visits can play a role in catching chronic health conditions early, as well as helping people control for risk factors that could cause them to develop health issues down the line.

Reduce Medical Costs

Wellness visits can help prevent disease and disability, which in turn can help reduce medical costs. According to a 2016 study, a focus on preventive healthcare can significantly reduce medical costs and improve the quality of healthcare services.

What to Expect During a Wellness Visit

A wellness visit may be performed by a healthcare provider such as a doctor, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, physician assistant, or other qualified health professional.

These are some of the steps a wellness visit may involve:

• Family history: Your healthcare provider may ask you detailed questions about your family’s medical history, to determine whether you are at an increased risk for certain health conditions that may be passed on genetically .
• Medical history: You may also be asked questions about your personal medical history. It can include information about any current or previous diseases, allergies, illnesses, surgeries, accidents, medications, vaccinations, and hospitalizations, as well as the results of any medical tests and examinations.
• Measurements: Your healthcare provider may measure your height, weight, heart rate, blood pressure, and other vital signs. Doing this regularly can help you establish a baseline as well as track any changes in your health.
• Cognitive assessment: Your healthcare provider may assess your ability to think, remember, learn, and concentrate, in order to screen for conditions such as Alzhemer’s disease and dementia.
• Mental health assessment: Your healthcare provider may also assess your mental health and state of mind, to help screen for conditions such as depression and other mood disorders.
• Physical assessment: Your healthcare provider may perform a physical examination to check your reflexes. They may also perform a neurological exam, a head and neck exam, an abdominal exam, or a lung exam.
• Functional assessment: Your healthcare provider may assess your hearing, your vision, your ability to perform day-to-day tasks, your risk of falling, and the safety of your home environment.
• Lifestyle factors: Your healthcare provider may ask you questions about your nutrition, fitness, daily habits, work, stress levels, and consumption of substances such as tobacco, nicotine, alcohol, and drugs.
• Health risk assessment: Based on this information, your healthcare provider will evaluate your health, and determine whether you are at an increased risk for any health conditions.
• Health advice: Your healthcare provider may advise you on steps you can take to improve your health, control risk factors, and prevent disease and disability. This may include nutrition counseling, an exercise plan, flu shot and vaccination recommendations, and fall prevention strategies, among other things.
• Screenings: Your healthcare provider may recommend that you get screened for certain health conditions such as depression , cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, or liver conditions. This may involve blood work, imaging scans, or other screening tests. 
• Medication review: Your healthcare provider may review your medication and adjust it, if required. This can include prescription medication, over-the-counter medication, vitamins, supplements, and herbal or traditional medication.
• Referrals and resources: If required, your healthcare provider will provide a referral to other healthcare specialists. They can also provide other resources that may be helpful, such as counseling services or support groups , for instance.
• Medical providers: Your healthcare provider will work with you to create or update a list of your current medical providers and equipment suppliers. This list can be helpful in case of an emergency.
• Healthcare plan: Your healthcare provider will work with you to create a healthcare plan that is tailored to your needs. The plan will serve as a checklist that will list any screenings or preventive measures you need to take over the next five to 10 years.

The screenings, assessments, and healthcare plan can vary depending on factors such as your age, gender, lifestyle, and risk factors.

How to Prepare for a Wellness Visit

These are some steps that can help you prepare for a wellness visit:

• Fill out any required questionnaires: Your healthcare provider may ask you to fill out a questionnaire before your visit. The questionnaire may include some of the factors listed above. Make sure you do it before your visit, so that you can make the most of your time with your healthcare provider.
• Carry your medications: If possible, try to carry your medications with you to show them to your healthcare provider.
• Take your medical documents along: It can be helpful to carry your prescriptions, immunization records, as well as the results of any medical tests or screenings you have had, to help give your healthcare provider a more accurate picture of your health status.
• Ask someone to go with you: You may want to take a trusted friend or family member along with you for the wellness visit. They can assist you if required, take notes for you, ask questions, and help you remember your healthcare provider’s instructions.
• Note down questions and concerns: A wellness visit is a good opportunity to ask your healthcare provider any questions you have about your health and tell them about any health problems or concerns you have. Making a list and carrying it with you to the visit can help ensure that you don’t miss anything.
• Check your insurance plan: Most insurance plans cover wellness visits; however, what is covered as part of the wellness visit can vary depending on the plan. It can be helpful to know what preventative services and wellness visits your plan offers. It’s important to check that your healthcare provider takes your insurance and to inform them that you’ll be coming for a wellness visit when you schedule your appointment.

A Word From Verywell

A wellness visit can help you evaluate your health status, understand your risk for specific health conditions, and give you the information and resources you need to improve your health.

After you go for a wellness visit, it’s important that you start implementing your healthcare provider’s advice, take any follow-up appointments necessary, and take steps to improve your health.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Get your wellness visit every year .

University Hospitals. What you need to know about wellness visits .

Liss DT, Uchida T, Wilkes CL, Radakrishnan A, Linder JA. General health checks in adult primary care: a review . JAMA . 2021;325(22):2294-2306. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.6524

Musich S, Wang S, Hawkins K, Klemes A. The impact of personalized preventive care on health care quality, utilization, and expenditures . Popul Health Manag . 2016;19(6):389-397. doi:10.1089/pop.2015.0171

Alzheimer’s Association. Annual wellness visit .

University of Michigan Health. Your yearly wellness visit .

By Sanjana Gupta Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

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HouseCalls is check-in care that comes to you

Did you know you can set up a yearly preventive care visit at home.

UnitedHealthcare® HouseCalls — our yearly in-home health and wellness service — is a health plan feature for Medicare and Medicaid members, offered at no additional cost to you. It’s a way to help our members stay on top of their health between regular doctor visits.

Why is a HouseCalls visit a good idea?

Benjamin Franklin said it best, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” We agree. The goal of our preventive care visits is to help you maintain your independence and continue doing what you love long into the future. We know there’s no way to prevent all health emergencies and accidents, but we believe that by taking care of yourself, you may be able to improve your odds of avoiding them. That’s where HouseCalls comes in. 

UnitedHealthcare® HouseCalls

Video transcript.

These days, you can have just about anything delivered to your door.

How about a home delivery of good health and wellness? It comes from UnitedHealthcare and is called HouseCalls.

HouseCalls is a yearly health and wellness visit that happens in the privacy of your very own home. No driving to an appointment. No sitting in a waiting room.

Here’s how it works.

Our HouseCalls team finds a time that’s convenient for you and schedules the visit. A health care practitioner, a physician’s assistant, medical doctor or nurse practitioner, comes to you at the scheduled time. The clinician completes a health evaluation, including a physical exam and other important screenings, then YOU decide what happens next.

You can discuss questions to ask your doctor at your next appointment, review instructions from your last doctor’s appointment or chat about other health concerns you haven’t had a chance to talk to your doctor about. Whatever you need.

The visit takes about 45-minutes to an hour – plenty of time to answer your important health questions.

Your practitioner will even send a summary of your HouseCalls visit to your doctor.

And unlike those other home deliveries – there’s no additional cost for a HouseCalls visit, it’s a feature of your medical plan. If you’re in good health or you already see your doctor regularly – you might not think HouseCalls is for you, but it is. Think of it as an extra layer of care – valuable one-on-one time you don’t always get in the doctor’s office.

So, when you get a phone call from our HouseCalls team – take advantage of this great program and schedule your HouseCalls visit. Or just call us and make an appointment!

It’s Easy. It’s Convenient. It’s UnitedHealthcare HouseCalls. 

What to expect during a HouseCalls visit

During a HouseCalls visit, you’ll meet with the same types of professionals you’d see in a doctor’s office — a licensed physician or nurse practitioner. They’ll answer your health-related questions, perform a physical exam and offer a health screening in the comfort of your own home. If you choose, your family members, loved ones or caregivers are welcome to sit in on this visit and ask additional questions. A typical visit will range from 45 minutes to a full hour.

The results of your exam and screening will be forwarded to your primary care provider (PCP) and you’ll receive a summary of your visit in the mail. 

During your visit, here are some typical topics you'll cover

• An overview of your medical history and prescription medications
• Conversations about overall well-being, like how to help you stay active, sleep well and manage stress
• Tips on to help you avoid trip hazards in your home
• Community resources and support

Open the door to the convenience of a medical visit in your home

Meet with licensed medical staff on your schedule, in the convenience of your home. Once they arrive, talk about health concerns at your pace (the visits are focused on you and you alone). Use the results to help coordinate care with your doctor. 

• Be prepared to provide a urine sample during your visit—drink fluids in advance
• Wear shoes or slippers that are easy to remove (your feet will be checked)
• Know where to find medication bottles so they are ready to review 
• If applicable, have blood pressure readings available for review
• If you have diabetes, please provide blood sugar test results, as well as your blood glucose meter 

Remember, at the end of your visit, you’ll receive a personalized checklist of topics to discuss with your doctor at your next appointment. Plus, you and your doctor will receive a mailed summary of your visit.

Want more good news?

HouseCalls is included at no extra cost in most Medicare and Medicaid members as part of your health plan. 1  Schedule at a convenient time and we’ll come to you. 

Call to request a visit 1-866-799-5895 , TTY 711 , Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. ET

For medical emergencies, call 911. 

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• Prepare for Doctor Visits and Make a List of Questions

Prepare a list of questions and symptoms before you visit your doctor or go for a procedure or to the hospital. A doctor won’t be able to answer your questions if you don’t ask.

Bring a List of Questions

Do you ever get home from a doctor visit and suddenly think of a burning question you wish you’d asked during your visit an hour earlier? This is the case for a lot of people. It helps to think ahead of time about the reason for your visit and what you hope to get out of it. Talk it over with a friend or family member. You may find yourself with a list of questions. Bring them to your appointment and jot down the answers.

Learn more in this Take 5 podcast as Lisa DiBlasi Moorehead discusses why it’s important for a patient to play an active role in their care and be open and honest about symptoms, what to bring with to provider visits and what do to after a visit. Lisa DiBlasi Moorehead, EdD, MSN, RN, CENP is the Associate Nurse Executive in the division of Accreditation and Certification Operations at The Joint Commission.

Preparing for Virtual Visits

In today’s new normal, preparing for a doctor’s visit may look a little different and require additional preparation. As COVID-19 increases social distancing across the U.S., it’s no surprise that virtual medical appointments have seen a huge spike in popularity. Telemedicine isn’t new, but it’s been utilized more than ever during this stressful time of quarantine and self-isolation. Here are some ways to plan for a successful virtual visit.

In Person Visits

Health care facilities, such as hospitals, doctors’ offices, surgery centers and all sites of care are reopening as appropriate, and as state and local conditions allow. Precautions are being taken to ensure your care is safe and that you are protected. Patients should have confidence in seeking care, and trust that your health care providers are doing their best to keep you, your family, and your community safe. Therefore, you should not postpone necessary care or preventative care such as immunizations or cancer screening. Do not hesitate to reach out to your provider if you have any questions about when to seek treatment.

To prevent you from getting COVID-19, or giving it to others, you may be asked to do the following by your provider:

• Wear a face covering. This helps limit your risk of getting or spreading COVID-19.
• Avoid crowded waiting areas. Some practices may require patients to check in for their appointment from their car. You may be asked to wait in your car until your visit. Waiting rooms should have chairs spaced far apart to keep you and others safe.
• Limit visitors or people who go to your appointment with you. Be prepared that you may not be allowed to bring anyone with you and if you typically accompany an elderly family member, you may be asked to wait in the car. Limiting the number of people limits your exposure. Visitors should also wear a face covering.
• Screening before entering a facility. Your temperature may be taken, and you may be asked to use hand sanitizer and wear gloves. The office may call you a few days before your appointment to go over some screening questions. This means asking questions about your possible risk factors of having COVID-19. They may repeat these questions during your visit. You may also be asked additional information over the phone to reduce the amount of paperwork needed at the time of visit.

Discuss with your provider if you should get tested before going in for care. In some cases, such as before surgery, childbirth, or a procedure, it may be necessary to be tested for COVID-19.

Resources and Tools:

• Share symptoms with your doctor (STARS tool)
• Speak Up About Your Care
• Speak Up At the Doctor’s Office
• Visit the TakeCharge website
• Take 5: The TakeCHARGE Campaign’s 5 Steps to Safer Health Care – Preparing for Provider Visits
• Understand and Complete Your Advance Directives
• Keep a Record of Your Medical History and Current Medications
• Prevent Infections and Ask Caregivers to Wash Their Hands
• Use an Advocate or Be an Advocate for Others

When to Visit a Nurse Practitioner vs Doctor

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Practicing Locations

East Orlando 3400 Quadrangle Blvd. Orlando, FL 32817

Call 407-266-3627

Lake Nona 9975 Tavistock Lakes Blvd. Orlando, FL 32827

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Nurse Practitioners vs. Doctors

Medical professionals have vast and varied training that prepares them to handle, diagnose, and cure many ailments, diseases, and physical issues. From lab technicians to neurosurgeons, each performs a specific and vital role in our country’s health care system. 

Nurse practitioners and doctors are fixtures during routine checkups, hospital visits, and out-patient procedures. However, a primary care physician is formally trained in diagnosing and treating diseases whereas nurse practitioners are formally trained in caring for patients by way of diagnosing and treating many common issues. 

While the roles may seem interchangeable to a patient, each performs different duties and undergoes a rigorous training specific to their position. 

What are the major differences between a primary care doctor and a nurse practitioner?

Nurse Practitioners are highly educated and begin their academic pursuits by first earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing. In order to become an NP, they must then attend a nationally-accredited nurse practitioner graduate program. 

Some NPs choose to go straight into their career after this but many continue down an academic path, eventually gaining a doctorate in nursing practices (DNP). Depending on the course of study, it takes approximately six to eight years of post-secondary education to become a nurse practitioner.  

Doctors, on the other hand, are required to earn a four-year degree in a pre-med discipline before continuing on to medical school and then a residency. Physicians typically specialize in a field like internal medicine , endocrinology , gastroenterology, rheumatology , and the like. 

Both are exceptionally skilled in the medical field but hone their craft through differing educational pursuits. 

What are the benefits of seeing a primary care doctor?

A primary care doctor can assist patients in numerous ways, including diagnosing diseases, long-term treatment, the analysis of medical history, or preventative care measures. By establishing a relationship with your primary care physician through examinations and routine check-ups, your doctor can better monitor ongoing health issues or help prevent any from arising. 

The training that primary care physicians receive during their postgraduate residency can take three or more years and impart invaluable knowledge. Residents receive hands-on training under the supervision of knowledgeable, well-practiced doctors that also specialize in a particular field of study. 

It’s necessary to visit a primary care doctor for persistent illnesses or for close monitoring of a pre-existing condition. While a nurse practitioner can handle these issues, your primary care doctor may be more adept at analyzing your entire medical history to troubleshoot issues and create a treatment plan. 

Primary care doctors are licensed through the Medical Doctor’s Board and Nurse Practitioners are licensed through the Nursing Board. Doctor’s are required to attain 20,000 hours of clinical experience while DNP’s need 1,000 – giving your primary care doctor a higher chance of exposure to rare illnesses, one-off diagnoses, and a diverse array of health conditions simply because he or she has spent more time in a clinic or hospital. If you are having trouble getting answers or receiving a diagnosis for troublesome symptoms, it may be necessary to visit a primary care doctor.  

What are the benefits of seeing a nurse practitioner?

While it can be tempting to want care from someone with the title “Doctor”, nurse practitioners are equally skilled and knowledgeable in their field. Nurse practitioners are typically not as booked as doctors, and can fit patients in sooner, providing relief without long delays or wait times. 

Nurse practitioners see a variety of patients, meaning that their knowledge and experiences are varied and may be better suited to creating preventative care plans. Their role is to help patients feel comfortable, healthy, and looked after throughout any sort of medical procedure or exam – routine or otherwise. 

NPs are sometimes referred to as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) because of their extensive background and practice in taking care of patients at their bedsides, be it at a hospital, clinic, home, or surgery center. However, it’s important to note that a nurse practitioner is a type of advanced practice registered nurse.

A nurse practitioner is a fantastic addition to a care team and acts as a complement to your primary care doctor. NP’s can take care of the following medical needs:  

• yearly check-ups 
• routine screenings 
• vaccinations
• diagnosing seasonal illnesses 
• treatment of sore throat, allergies, or the flu 

During the global COVID-19 pandemic, nurse practitioners are providing exceptionally valuable services by alleviating the load on physicians, surgeons, and emergency rooms. They can offer COVID-19 testing and diagnosis of symptoms.  

Nurse practitioners can prescribe medicine, conduct cancer screenings, diagnose illnesses, and recommend patients to specialists. NP’s and doctors perform similar day-to-day tasks and typically work in a clinical setting. Only one-third work in a hospital setting while an even smaller percentage work in academia, nonprofits, or other community organizations. 

In many states, nurse practitioners conduct their care under the umbrella of a licensed primary care physician. They rely on the supervision, expertise, and involvement of a doctor but still conduct the same medican tasks and exams as their supervising physicians. At UCF Health, all of our experienced nurse practitioners partner with well-equipped physicians to provide superior medical care to incoming patients. 

Difference between a Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner

While NPs and PAs often compete for the same position, both provide different services to patients. A physician assistant has a more extensive background in a specialized practice and has learned through a medical model instead of a nursing model. In addition, physician assistants often have a greater role in patient care during pre-op and post-op. PAs are required to undergo 2,000 hours of clinical training – 1,000 more than that of NPs. 

Nurse practitioners can often act as the bridge between patients and their care providers or between medical professionals. They serve as an intermediary between a registered nurse and a physician. NPs can also provide the go-between for a physician assistant and a patient, helping the patient better understand a medical process, diagnosis, or care plan. 

Collaboration is Key

As medicine becomes more complex, it’s crucial to implement the advice and expertise of a healthcare team, instead of just one individual. Nurse practitioners and doctors work hand in hand in office and hospital settings to provide a total care plan. They help each other by providing different pieces to complete the complex puzzle that is modern medicine. 

In many situations, a nurse practitioner will take an initial patient visit. They will take time in listening to patient’s symptoms or health care concerns, discuss medical history, consider potential treatments that the patient feels comfortable with, and then present all the information to a supervising physician. Together, both experts can create the best possible plan to get the patient back on the right track.

Experience is Vital

It’s important to note that a nurse practitioner who has been working in the medical field for thirty years may be better equipped to handle your particular condition than a doctor that is fresh off his or her residency. 

Like anything, both individuals will have differing backgrounds, training, and patient experiences that may or may not make them the best possible person to handle your particular health situation. For tricky diagnoses, consult with both your nurse practitioner and your primary care physician. 

The U.S. is facing a shortage of primary care physicians, meaning that access to a doctor will continue to be difficult to get. Establishing a relationship with an experienced nurse practitioner can definitely benefit you in the long-run. 

How do you know which you should go to?

Oftentimes, patients can get in to see a nurse practitioner quicker than they can a senior primary care doctor. For issues that need urgent attention, book an appointment with an NP or go to an urgent care , instead of a doctor. 

In addition, many established primary care doctors take time off around the holidays or school breaks, meaning that patients must wait months until the doctor is back in. A nurse practitioner can still prescribe your medicine, monitor preexisting conditions, or diagnose illness while the doctor is out. 

For experimental treatment or an unclear diagnosis, it’s advisable to visit with a physician. Toxic treatments, like the administration of chemotherapy, also should be supervised by a physician who specializes in that field. Nurse practitioner visits can be less costly than a routine trip to the doctor and insurance coverage may vary depending on your provider. 

Nurse practitioners cannot independently perform surgical procedures and those requiring any sort of invasive treatment should consult with their primary care physician. 

UCF Health employs experienced nurse practitioners and Orlando family physicians that provide invaluable expertise to your medical care team. Through collaboration, establishing a positive rapport, and routine checkups, nurse practitioners and doctors can assist in keeping you healthy and happy. UCF Health services are robust and include a variety of treatment options. To schedule an appointment with a knowledgeable nurse practitioner or doctor, visit our patient portal . 

There was a time when doctors treated patients in their own home. This old-fashioned care matched with new medical technology is here again. At HouseCall Primary Care, we serve homebound patients wherever home may be...a patient's house, a nursing home, or assisted living. Our team of providers stay with our patients wherever they go.

HouseCall Primary Care offers these general areas of specialty. Select one of the services below to learn more.

House Calls – We Bring the Doctor’s Office to the Patient

At Mobile Physician Services, we provide comprehensive care to improve the health and quality of life of our patients – in the convenience and comfort of their own home. Our team of board-certified doctors, advance nurse practitioners, and physician assistants specialize in providing care for patients with medically complex and chronic conditions.

Our Services

We accept Medicare, many insurance plans, and self-pay.

To find out more about our services:

Call Toll-free: (855) 232-0644

E-mail us at [email protected]

Primary Care

Pain management, palliative care.

At Mobile Physician Services, our customized care teams provide patients with both comfort and familiarity as they work with a dedicated primary care provider and care coordinator to improve their health. Our physicians and staff take a proactive approach to preventive care, chronic disease management, and chronic illness support right where you live.

Each home visit includes an in-depth examination and individualized treatment plan, which is monitored and adjusted through routine follow-up visits. The primary care provider will deliver your ongoing care and will recommend to you specialty services as needed.

• Annual Wellness visits : This wellness visit allows your primary care provider to create or update your personalized prevention plan. This visit includes a review of your medical and social history related to your health and may include counseling about preventive services. This plan may help you to prevent or reduce the chances of future illness based on your current health and risk factors.
• New Illness Exams : When a new symptom or ailment arises, call us. Early indications of not feeling well could be a clue that you may be getting sick. A symptom in one part of the body may also be a sign of a problem in another part of the body. Moreover, unrelated symptoms that might seem minor on their own, could be warning signs of a more serious medical disease or condition. The new illness exam can be very brief or more detailed depending on your concerns and the provider’s findings.
• Follow-up Care: Involves a regular medical checkup, which may include a physical exam and laboratory testing. Follow-up care checks are a proactive way of assessing the potential for and preventing health problems from returning after treatment of a disease has ended or an illness has seemingly passed.
• Referral for Specialty Care : Referrals are the link between primary and specialty care. The referral coordination includes the documentation of patient care activities, the transfer of information, the inter-provider communication itself, and the integration of care services to the patient. Mobile Physician Services is a multi-specialty practice so many of these specialty referral services can be made seamlessly with little inconvenience or disruption to the patient and caregivers regular routines.
• Medication Management: Medication management is a treatment structure that ensures our patients are receiving optimal therapeutic results from their prescription medications, both in the short and long term. Our team’s goal is to mitigate medication noncompliance and monitor all prescriptions treatments so that drug interactions complement one another for the most optimal outcome for our patients.

The provider may be a physician, advanced practice nurse or a physician assistant. A dedicated care coordinator will also be assigned for each patient to help arrange comprehensive services and assist patients and their caregivers.

• Online Patient Portal: You and your designated caregiver, if you choose, will be able to connect with your provider through a convenient, safe and secure environment which allows access to your health records and a way to communicate with our staff in a timely manner.
• Telephone Assistance : On call providers are available 24/7 weekdays and weekends.

Our psychiatry team specializes in the diagnosis and management of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. They carefully evaluate each patient to develop an individualized treatment plan to improve the patient’s overall mental and physical well-being.

• Depression : Depression is a common and often serious medical illness that negatively affects how you may feel, the way you may think, and how you may act. Depression can cause feelings of sadness, despair and hopelessness, which may lead to a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed.
• Anxiety : Intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday common situations. The worry or anxiety could make you feel fatigued, irritable, and interfere with your regular sleep habits.
• Dementia : An overall term that is used to describes a collection of symptoms related to an individual’s decline in memory or other thinking skills. It may be severe enough to diminish a person’s ability to perform everyday common activities. The effects of dementia can negatively influence your memory, thinking and social abilities.
• Phobias : A phobia is when you experience excessive panicking or an irrational fear reaction to a situation. If you have a phobia, you may experience a deep sense of dread or fright when you encounter the source of your fear. The fear may be a certain place, situation, object, animal or even another person.
• Behavioral disorders : Attention deficit, hyperactivity, bipolar, learning, defiant or conduct disorders are all examples of complaints that may have a detrimental impact on a person’s interpersonal relationships with family, friends, and co-workers.

Our team can provide behavioral counselling and medical therapy, when appropriate, to help a patient feel better about themselves and to assist them with better coping and managing their condition.

Our wound care specialists have been trained in the attention and treatment of all types of acute and chronic wounds. They have skill and experience in wound debridement and wound care procedures – managing chronic, non-healing wounds and infections, with a demonstrated care that fosters healing… right in the patient’s own home.

We specialize in serving homebound patients who may also be bed-bound or have difficulty in walking or moving around. As a result, immobility compression sores develop at pressure points on the body when the weight of an immobilized individual rests continuously on a firm surface, such as a mattress or wheel chair. Often these same patients are on oxygen or have high-risk medical conditions which makes it an even more challenging and stressful effort for them to travel to a doctor’s office for an appointment. Thus, the necessity for in home care and treatment.

Wounds that benefit from specialized wound care techniques include:

• Diabetic foot wounds and ulcers
• Post-surgical wounds
• Traumatic wounds caused by injury
• Arterial and vein stasis caused by lack of circulation
• Immobility pressure sores. (Bed sores from stillness)

We work closely with home health agencies to provide ongoing care and monitoring of patient’s wounds.

Our board-certified podiatrists treat foot pain, wounds, and more. Treatments may include but are not limited to treating conditions of the lower extremities which could hinder mobility.

• We will review each patients’ medical history to evaluate the condition of the feet, ankle or lower leg
• Carry out a diagnosis on the feet and lower legs through examination and medical tests
• Order physical therapy when deemed necessary
• Treat wounds of the lower extremities using various wound care modalities. This may include debridement to improve the healing potential
• Promote prevention, health & well being, the treatment and management of the foot and related problems, disability, deformity, and the pedal complications of chronic diseases for the elderly
• Prescribe and fit prosthetic appliances such as diabetic shoe inserts and evaluate for bracing if necessary
• Refer patients to other specialists for treatment, including conditions such as diabetes or arthritis
• Advise patients on ways to prevent future leg problems and increase speed of recovery
• Monitor the recovery progress of patients to determine the need for change in treatment

We know it’s not always easy to leave home to get the care you need for your eyes. Our optometrists bring state-of-the-art diagnostic eye equipment and technology to your home – making it much easier for you to get the vision care you need.

During a visit, your doctor will exam each eye for signs of serious issues such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, and detached retinas, among other conditions.

Receiving regular eye exams regardless of the state of your vision can help detect serious eye problems at their earliest stages ─ when they are most treatable. During an eye exam, your doctor will observe and evaluate the health and condition of the blood vessels in your retina, which can be good indicators of the health of your blood vessels throughout the rest of your body.

• Comprehensive eye exams : This exam goes beyond a simple vision screening. A comprehensive eye exam includes a host of tests in order to do a complete evaluation of the health of your eyes and your vision.
• Annual retina exams : A retinal exam allows your doctor to evaluate the back of your eye, including the retina, the optic disk and the underlying layer of blood vessels that supply the retina.
• Eyeglass fittings : A prescription works best when your eyeglasses are properly fitted. Improper fitting may cause pinching, distorted vision, headaches, and even dizziness. Our doctors will make sure your prescription lenses and frames are working together for you.
• Diabetic eye exams : Diabetes does not have to lead to vision loss. Taking an active role in managing your diabetes can go a long way in curbing later complications. Regular eye exams, good management of your blood sugar and blood pressure, along with early intervention for vision problems can help prevent vision loss caused by diabetic retinopathy. Retinopathy is caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye.
• Refractions: This test is given as part of your routine eye examination. It is often referred to as a vision test. This test assists your eye doctor in measuring you for the exact lens prescription you will need.
• Eye injuries: Eye trauma could be the result of a sudden blow to the eye. It may cause the eye to suddenly compress and retract which could cause damage to your eye and the surrounding tissue. Even if the injury may seem minor, all eye injuries should be furthered examined by a doctor for possible more serious and underlying injuries.
• Eye infections: The most common eye infection is conjunctivitis, also known as pink-eye. An eye infection can happen in almost any part of your eye, including your eye lid, cornea and optic nerve. Symptoms of eye infections may include redness, itching, swelling, discharge, pain, or problems with vision. Always consult with your doctor before treating, as recommended actions are contingent on the cause of the infection.
• Low-vision exams: A low vision exam is different from a normal eye exam. This functional-vision assessment determines how specific visual impairments affects your ability to perform everyday activities. The exam’s results assist your doctor in prescribing management tools and medications to better enhance and manage your remaining vision.

Pain management is the process of providing medical care that alleviates or reduces pain. Pain management is a subspecialty of general medicine employing an interdisciplinary approach to ease the suffering and improve the quality of life of those living with chronic pain by using a combination of pain medications, joint and muscles injections, and physical therapy techniques.

A pain management specialist is a provider with advanced training in diagnosing and treating pain. Our pain management specialists treat pain stemming from a variety of different causes, whether it’s neuropathic pain or headache, or the result of injury, a surgical procedure, cancer or another illness.

Palliative care is an approach to the holistic care of patients, including family and caregivers, to improve the quality of their lives after the diagnosis of a chronic debilitating disease or life-limiting illness that may cause a host of complaints.

Palliative care can begin at diagnosis and continue to be offered while the patient is continuing active treatment through different phases of their life limiting condition. Palliative care is for any patient with a chronic illness who is experiencing a decreased quality of life because of symptoms related to their illness or treatment, like renal dialysis, oxygen therapy or chemotherapy. The care is provided by a specially-trained team of doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other specialists who work together to provide an extra layer of support to the patient and their caregivers.

Palliative care can help in symptom control including not only pain, but nausea, weakness, shortness of breath, fatigue and weight loss at any time during their diseases, not only at the end of life.

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance)  covers E-visits with your doctors and certain other health care providers.

Your costs in Original Medicare

After you meet the Part B deductible , you pay 20% of the  Medicare-approved amount  for your doctor's or other provider's services.

E-visits allow you to talk to your doctor or other health care provider using an online patient portal to answer quick questions or decide if you need to schedule a visit.

You can get an E-visit with:

• Nurse practitioners
• Clinical nurse specialists
• Physician assistants
• Licensed clinical social workers (in specific circumstances)
• Clinical psychologists (in specific circumstances)

E-visits can be used for the treatment for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) from anywhere, including places of residence (like homes, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities).

Things to know

• To get an e-visit, you must request one with your doctor or other provider.
• Medicare also covers virtual check-ins and Medicare telehealth .

Is my test, item, or service covered?

In Home Medical Senior Care Services | Landmark Health

• Patient or Caregiver
• Community Provider

Are you a new Landmark patient?

Burn-out is real. landmark is different..

Living with chronic health conditions? We can help.

Our providers and care teams come to you, bringing care through house call visits. This in-home medical care is designed around understanding your health needs and goals. We work with you and your regular doctors to help you stay well and stay home.

House calls and video visits in 37 states.

Landmark partners with health plans to bring medical, behavioral health, and palliative care, along with social services, to patients in communities across the U.S. Our mobile providers visit patients in their homes through in-person house calls and telemedicine visits over video and phone.

We are the future of health care.

Landmark is one of the nation’s largest healthcare companies focused on in-home care of complex, chronic patients. Our physician-led provider groups support collaborative ties between community-based organizations, primary care providers, specialists and patients and their families.

patients nationally for which Landmark bears risk

reduction in hospital admissions

reduction in mortality

Discover the benefits.

• For Patients + Caregivers
• For Community Providers
• For Partners

Health care in your home

Old-fashioned house calls by medical doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants bring modern medicine to you. Feel better and stay well at home.

Covered by your health plan

The Landmark program works with health plans to improve access to care for patients with multiple chronic conditions. Landmark’s team-based care is available often at no cost to you.

Keep your current doctors

Landmark coordinates its care with your primary care provider, specialists and other community resources. Landmark provides added support to those who need it most.

Available 24 / 7

Our provider-staffed call center answers any time of the day or night. We also provide urgent visits to help you avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency room.

No waiting room

With Landmark house calls, you won’t need transportation to clinics and hospitals, and you avoid waiting rooms and exposure to germs.

Reduced stress

Patients and caregivers enjoy peace of mind with Landmark support. Landmark cares for the whole patient.

Landmark house calls put patients at the center of health care.

Collaborative care for complex patients.

Landmark’s community-based mobile providers bring coordinated care to patients with multiple chronic health conditions. We augment your care in the patient’s home.

Covered by health plans

The Landmark program is included in eligible patients’ health plans to improve care coordination and healthcare access for home-limited patients.

You remain the primary care provider

Landmark care is coordinated directly with you. Our providers reinforce your care plan in the home through physician-led interdisciplinary care teams.

Access our interdisciplinary team

Landmark’s interdisciplinary care team is available to you and your patients, including behavioral health specialists, social workers, palliative care specialists, nurse care managers and pharmacists.

Reduce administrative burden

We can help your highest acuity patients by managing post-acute care, home health orders, face-to-face encounters, and more.

24 / 7 availability

You can reach us any time, including weekends and holidays. We do urgent home visits to intervene if your patient experiences a chronic disease exacerbation.

Landmark supports your patients with complex health and social needs.

Chronic care management.

We’re one of the nations’ leading risk-bearing medical groups. We focus on giving your most complex members care when they need it, right in their home.

Over 250,000 patients across the country

We bear risk for over 250,000 complex, chronic patients, spanning Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, Dual, and Commercial, populations.

Behavioral, social and palliative care

Our team of multidisciplinary clinicians may include behavioral health specialists, palliative care practitioners, social workers, nurse care managers, dietitians and pharmacists.

Urgent in-home visits

One in four of our home visits is urgent. We bring medical care to your members when they need it, to avoid unnecessary emergency room trips and hospitalizations.

Built-for-purpose infrastructure

Our technology platform is designed specifically to support the medically vulnerable, clinically complex population.

Meaningful outcomes

Landmark commonly helps health plans achieve 4- and 5-star performance on Medicare STARS clinical quality of care, while caring for the most complex patients.

Landmark provides care for complex, chronic patients to positively impact access, satisfaction, outcomes and cost.

Landmark has been great! Staff very knowledgeable, very helpful.

The doctor and nurses show they care about you and your health they are really there for you when you need them I love that they come to your house we did a zoom meeting with the nurse practitioner and she gave suggestions I really appreciate them

It was a pleasure to talk and see the doctor, she was very knowledgeable of all my conditions and gave me great advice to improve my health.

Practice health care the way you always wanted — with those who need it most.

Expert insights.

Prioritizing Mental Health as a Universal Human Right

By: Neltada Charlemagne, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, PHN, BHC

Outsmart Unplanned Medical Costs: 10 Steps for Managing the Unexpected

Older adults can safeguard themselves from the physical, mental and emotional toll of unexpected medical costs.

Optum Care Network – Monarch and Landmark Health bring care to you at home.

Optum Care Network – Monarch has teamed up with Landmark to deliver in-home medical care to members with multiple chronic conditions.

Have questions about Landmark? We’d love to hear from you.

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Doctor Visits

Make the Most of Your Child’s Visit to the Doctor (Ages 11 to 14 Years)

Take Action

Kids ages 11 to 14 years need to go to the doctor or nurse for a “well-child visit” once a year.

A well-child visit is when you take your child to the doctor to make sure they’re healthy and developing normally. This is different from other visits for sickness or injury.

At a well-child visit, the doctor or nurse can help catch any problems early, when they may be easier to treat.

Learn what to expect so you can make the most of each visit.

Child Development

How do i know if my child is growing and developing on schedule.

Your child’s doctor or nurse can help you identify “developmental milestones,” or signs to look for that show your child is developing normally. This is an important part of the well-child visit.

Some developmental milestones are related to your child’s behavior and learning, and others are about physical changes in your child’s body.

Check out these resources to learn more about developmental milestones:

• Developmental Milestones (Ages 9 to 11 years)
• Developmental Milestones (Ages 12 to 14 years)

Behavior Changes

What are some changes i might see in my child’s feelings, relationships, and behavior.

Developmental milestones for kids ages 11 to 14 years include:

• Wanting more independence and privacy
• Having mood swings (going quickly from happy to sad or sad to happy)
• Showing more concern about what their friends and classmates think
• Developing stronger problem-solving skills
• Developing a clearer sense of right and wrong
• Challenging rules and resisting advice from parents

This is also a time when some kids may start showing signs of depression or eating disorders. Bullying and social media use may also become issues at this age. It’s important to:

• Make sure the doctor screens your child for depression
• Have your child screened for anxiety
• Know the signs of eating disorders
• Teach your kids to use social media safely
• Watch for signs of bullying

Physical Changes

What physical changes will my child go through.

Many kids ages 11 to 14 years are going through puberty. Puberty is when a child’s body develops into an adult’s body.

• For girls, puberty usually starts between ages 9 and 13 years. Get more information about puberty to share with your daughter .
• For boys, it usually starts between ages 10 and 13 years. Get more information about puberty to share with your son .

You can help by giving your child information about what changes to expect during puberty. You can also encourage your child to talk about puberty with the doctor or another trusted adult, like a teacher or school nurse.

Puberty can be a difficult time for gender-diverse children — kids who feel that they’re a different gender than the sex that’s listed on their birth certificate. Encourage your child to talk with you or their doctor if they have questions about their gender. Find tips for parenting a gender-diverse child .

Behavior and Emotions

The doctor or nurse will pay special attention to signs of certain issues. .

The doctor or nurse will offer additional help if your child may:

• Be depressed 
• Have anxiety
• Struggle with an eating disorder
• Use tobacco, alcohol, or drugs 
• Experience any kind of violence 

And if your child may be having sex, the doctor or nurse will talk to your child about preventing STIs (sexually transmitted infections) — also called STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) — and pregnancy. Learn how to talk with your child about preventing STIs .

The doctor or nurse will make sure you and your child have the resources you need.

This may include telling you and your child about:

• Websites or apps that have helpful health information
• Organizations in your community where you can go for help

If needed, the doctor or nurse may also refer your child to a specialist.

Take these steps to help you and your child get the most out of well-child visits.

Gather important information.

Take any medical records you have to the appointment, including a record of vaccines (shots) your child has received.

Make a list of any important changes in your child’s life since the last visit, like a:

• New brother or sister
• Separation or divorce — or a parent spending time in jail or prison
• New school or a move to a new neighborhood
• Serious illness or death of a friend or family member

Use this tool to  keep track of your child’s family health history .

Help your child get more involved in visits to the doctor.

Once your child starts puberty, the doctor will usually ask you to leave the room for a few minutes so your child can ask questions about their health. This lets your child develop a relationship with the doctor or nurse, and it's an important step in helping your child learn about their health care.

Your child can also:

• Call to schedule appointments (if the doctor’s office allows it)
• Help you fill out medical forms
• Write down questions for the doctor or nurse

For more ideas,  check out these tips to help your child take charge of their health care . You can also share this list of questions for the doctor with your child .

What about cost?

Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance plans must cover well-child visits. Depending on your insurance plan, you may be able to get well-child visits at no cost to you. Check with your insurance company to find out more.

Your child may also qualify for free or low-cost health insurance through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Learn about coverage options for your family.

If you don’t have insurance, you may still be able to get free or low-cost well-child visits. Find a health center near you and ask about well-child visits.

To learn more, check out these resources:

• Free preventive care for children covered by the Affordable Care Act
• How the Affordable Care Act protects you and your family
• Understanding your health insurance and how to use it [PDF - 698 KB]

Ask Questions

Make a list of questions you want to ask the doctor..

Before the well-child visit, write down 3 to 5 questions you have — and ask your child if they have any questions to add. This visit is a great time to ask the doctor or nurse any questions about:

• A health condition your child has (like an allergy, asthma, or acne)
• Changes in behavior or mood
• Loss of interest in favorite activities
• Problems at school (like learning challenges or not wanting to go to school)

Here are some questions you may want to ask:

• How can I make sure my child is getting enough physical activity?
• How can I help my child eat healthy?
• Is my child at a healthy weight?
• Is my child's body developing normally?
• Is my child up to date on vaccines?
• How can I help my child succeed at school?

You may also want to ask:

• How can I talk with my child about sex?
• How can I talk with my child about tobacco, alcohol, and drugs?
• How can I teach my child to use the internet safely?
• How can I talk with my child about bullying?

Take a notepad, smartphone, or tablet and write down the answers so you can remember them later.

Get tips to help you:

• Talk with your child about sex
• Talk with your child about tobacco, alcohol, and drugs
• Talk with your child about bullying

Find more tips to talk to your child about a range of tricky topics .

Ask what to do if your child gets sick. 

Make sure you know how to get in touch with a doctor or nurse when the office is closed. Ask how to get hold of the doctor on call, or if there's a nurse information service you can call at night or on the weekend. 

What to Expect

Know what to expect..

During each well-child visit, the doctor or nurse will ask you questions, do a physical exam, and update your child’s medical history. You'll also be able to ask your questions and discuss any problems. 

The doctor or nurse will ask you and your child questions.

The doctor or nurse may ask about:

• Behavior — Does your child have trouble following directions at home or at school?
• Health — Does your child often complain of headaches or other pain? How much sleep does your child get? When was their last visit to the dentist?
• Safety — Does anyone in your home have a gun? If so, is it unloaded and locked in a place where your child can’t get it?
• School and activities — Does your child look forward to going to school? What does your child like to do outside of school?
• Eating habits — What does your child eat on a normal day?
• Family and friends — Have there been any recent changes in your family? How many close friends does your child have? Has your child been bullied at school or online?
• Emotions — Does your child often seem sad, stressed, or bored? Do they seem scared or worried a lot? Does your child have someone to talk to about problems?
• Sexuality — Have you talked with your child about puberty? Is your child dating?

The answers to questions like these will help the doctor or nurse make sure your child is healthy, safe, and developing normally.

Physical Exam

The doctor or nurse will also check your child’s body..

To check your child’s body, the doctor or nurse will:

• Measure height and weight and figure out your child's body mass index (BMI)
• Check your child’s blood pressure
• Check your child’s vision and hearing
• Check your child’s body parts (this is called a physical exam)
• Decide if your child needs any lab tests, like a blood test
• Give your child shots they need

Learn more about your child’s health care:

• Find out how to get your child’s shots on schedule
• Learn about getting your child’s vision checked

Content last updated February 16, 2024

Reviewer Information

This information on well-child visits was adapted from materials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

Reviewed by: Sara Kinsman, M.D., Ph.D. Director, Division of Child, Adolescent, and Family Health Maternal and Child Health Bureau Health Resources and Services Administration

Bethany Miller, M.S.W. Chief, Adolescent Health Branch Maternal and Child Health Bureau Health Resources and Services Administration

Diane Pilkey, R.N., M.P.H. Nursing Consultant, Division of Child, Adolescent, and Family Health Maternal and Child Health Bureau Health Resources and Services Administration

October 2021

You may also be interested in:

Get Your Pre‑teen’s Vaccines on Schedule

Help Your Child Stay at a Healthy Weight

Talk to Your Kids About Sex and Healthy Relationships

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Pregnancy-related deaths are dropping. Here's why doctors aren't satisfied.

The number of women dying while pregnant is returning to pre-pandemic levels following a worrisome 2021 spike, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.

In 2022, 817 U.S. women died either while pregnant or soon after giving birth, down from 1,205 the previous year.

“If you look at 2021, we had such a sharp increase as we were really still in the pandemic and still dealing with disruptions of care, the fear of coming into the healthcare space and the inability to access care during that time,” said Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, an OB-GYN at Ochsner Medical Center in Kenner, Louisiana. She was not involved in the new report, which was published Thursday by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics .

The maternal mortality rate in 2022 was 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with 32.9 per 100,000 in 2021, according to the new report.

“It’s looking like it’s returning to a pre-pandemic level,” said Donna Hoyert, the report’s author and an NCHS health scientist. The same appears to be true for preliminary 2023 data , she said.

Decreases were noted across all age groups and races, though Black women continue to be disproportionately affected. Their maternal mortality rate was 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022. In 2021, it was 69.9 deaths per 100,000.

“We still have a long way to go to create really meaningful prevention interventions and strategies to decrease mortality,” said Dr. Warner Huh, an OB-GYN and head of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, “particularly among Black women and women of color.” Huh was not involved with the NCHS report.

The accuracy of NCHS's maternal mortality data, which comes from death certificates, has long been scrutinized . More than a decade ago, the research group noted that many deaths among pregnant women were not being counted because of a problem with medical coding.

In 2003, the NCHS tried to correct the issue by recommending that states add a standardized checkbox to the certificates to make it clear whether the death occurred in a pregnant or recently pregnant woman. It wasn't until 2017 that all states made the change.

A study published last month suggested the checkbox rule grossly overestimated rates of maternal mortality because it wasn’t nuanced enough to determine whether the cause of death was truly related to pregnancy.

Gillispie-Bell, also the medical director of the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative at the state’s department of health, said she disagreed with those findings because they did not account for mental health conditions.

And according to CDC data, the most common cause of death during or just after pregnancy is related to mental health conditions, which include drug and alcohol use disorder.

Hoyert said her group continues to refine the quality of the data.

“If we didn’t use the checkbox, we would be right back where we were in the past, when we were getting roundly criticized for missing a substantial percent of maternal deaths,” she said.

While it appears that the numbers are “trending in the right direction,” Huh said, “they’re still too high.”

“No mother should come into pregnancy with a fear that she is going to die delivering her baby,” Gillispie-Bell said. “As long as mothers are dying, we still have work to do.”

Erika Edwards is a health and medical news writer and reporter for NBC News and "TODAY."