What to Expect at Your Virtual Urgent Care Visit
Virtual urgent care from CincyKids Health Connect is a convenient, cost-effective option for conditions that require the attention of a healthcare provider, but not necessarily an in-person visit. All you need is a mobile device or computer to see and speak with a pediatric expert and have a limited physical exam. Our pediatric experts can answer your questions, provide advice, send a prescription to your pharmacy, or refer you to in-person care.
What to Know Before Starting Your Visit
To ensure your visit goes as smoothly as possible, please note the following before starting your virtual urgent care visit.
Process
- No appointment is needed.
- Both you and your child must be present during the video visit; however, the level of child involvement is at the discretion of the provider. In all cases, the provider will speak directly with the parent or guardian.
- If medically appropriate, our pediatric experts can send a prescription to your pharmacy. This may include an antibiotic, but only if it’s medically necessary to treat a condition that can be diagnosed during a virtual urgent care visit. A consultation is not a guarantee of a prescription.
Eligibility
- We can see anyone under the age of 18 who is in Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana at the time of service.
- Virtual urgent care visits are not meant for life-threatening situations. Read more about the conditions we treat to find out if this is the right type of care for your child's condition.
- If it’s not an emergency and you’re still not sure whether your child should be seen in person or treated virtually, we can help. During your virtual urgent care visit, your provider will assess your child and refer you to an in-person visit if necessary.
Billing
- Virtual urgent care visits cost $48 (this is an out-of-pocket flat fee), and you pay at the time of service with a credit or debit card. This can include your HSA or FSA card so long as the card has a Visa or Mastercard logo. (Cost may be waived for families on some public health insurance plans like Medicaid.)
- If our provider determines that you need immediate in-person care, you will not be charged for your virtual visit.
- If our provider recommends lab work and sends a referral to a lab at Cincinnati Children’s or another lab, your insurance will be billed just like lab work requested during an in-person visit.
- We are working toward accepting insurance.
Privacy and Safety
- Due to safety concerns, we cannot conduct virtual urgent care visits while you're in a moving vehicle. If you're in a vehicle, it must be safely parked.
- Virtual urgent care visits are private and secure. Your information is protected and only shared with your designated primary care physician and pharmacy, just like an in-person visit. Be sure that when you do the video visit that you are in a private and secure location.
Before and During Your Visit
Connecting with a pediatric expert requires just a few simple steps.
Step 1: Download the app or visit us on the web.
- Get started on a mobile device: App Store | Google Play
- Get started online.
Step 2: Set up your account in minutes.
Fill out a brief medical history, just like you would at the doctor’s office.
Step 3: Connect with a pediatric expert.
You will be notified when the provider is ready to see you. The visit request is cancelled if you miss two attempts from the provider, and you will need to make a new request.
We can provide guidance to help you move forward, review your child’s condition or, if needed, refer you to a physician or send a prescription to your pharmacy. And if you need assistance, our technical support team is available 24/7 to help.
After Your Visit
After your visit, you can access a summary of your visit through our app or online. Your provider will have access to the summary as well. Just look up your physician by last name or practice name when you register your account or at the time of your visit.
We can provide a school or work excuse if medically necessary.
