Telepsychiatry?

[Sync]

I've recently moved and had to change insurance carriers and I'm having a hell of a time finding a psychiatrist that can see me any time within the next several months. I definitely need proper ongoing care, but right now what I really need is a medication refill. I cannot go off my medication under any circumstances.

My insurance covers this telepsychiatry service thing where you do video chats with a psychiatrist who lives whereever. Anyone done anything like this? As far as I can tell all the psychiatrists are actual psychiatrists properly licensed and stuff, and it seems like I could probably get med management through this. It vaguely feels like a bad idea, so I'm wondering if anyone has done this and had it be legit.

[CrazyRedhead]

On 5/11/2022 at 1:34 PM, Sync said:

My insurance covers this telepsychiatry service thing where you do video chats with a psychiatrist who lives whereever. Anyone done anything like this? As far as I can tell all the psychiatrists are actual psychiatrists properly licensed and stuff, and it seems like I could probably get med management through this. It vaguely feels like a bad idea, so I'm wondering if anyone has done this and had it be legit.

I've been doing telepsychiatry since 2020, but it's been with someone that's in my area......If what you mainly need is ongoing med management, I don't think you'll have a problem getting refills with the video chats.........My psychiatrist that I do video chats with,  just calls in my refills to my local pharmacy, and I haven't had any problems so far.

[psychwardjesus]

On 5/11/2022 at 1:34 PM, Sync said:

I've recently moved and had to change insurance carriers and I'm having a hell of a time finding a psychiatrist that can see me any time within the next several months. I definitely need proper ongoing care, but right now what I really need is a medication refill. I cannot go off my medication under any circumstances.

My insurance covers this telepsychiatry service thing where you do video chats with a psychiatrist who lives whereever. Anyone done anything like this? As far as I can tell all the psychiatrists are actual psychiatrists properly licensed and stuff, and it seems like I could probably get med management through this. It vaguely feels like a bad idea, so I'm wondering if anyone has done this and had it be legit.

I've never done telehealth with psychopharm, just psychotherapy in my home state (MA) and the state my therapist ultimately moved to (NC), but even that became complicated. The initial start up wasn't bad, but as things started opening up and getting better with Covid-19, I was trying to figure out if my insurance would continue to cover teletherapy indefinitely or if there would be a final date. And then again sometime after that, when my therapist told me he was moving down to North Carolina and I'd need to call my insurance and find out if they'd still cover me if my therapist lived in NC, but was still licensed in MA. Ultimately, it all worked out, but it took a bit of work, I have pretty good insurance through the hospital I work at, and even now I still think, "Who knows?" In other words, I'm still expecting at any moment, my insurance or federal laws will change in some way and I'll have to scramble for a new person. 

Honestly, I personally think you're at a point where you don't have a lot of options, so why not, I guess? If nothing other than they maintain you on what you have now and keep that going barring something else happening and searching for another psychiatrist/np, assuming ideally in person?