What makes Confrere suitable for physicians?

Through close collaboration with healthcare professionals, Confrere has been developed to fit into a physician's workday, offering secure video calls with up to 4 participants and high reliability.

Do patients need to download an app to join a video consultation?

No. Patients receive a link via text message or email, open it on their smartphone, tablet or computer, and do not need to download any separate app.

How do patients join the video call?

1) Patients receive a link via text or email. 2) They enter their name and contact details and wait in a virtual waiting room. 3) The physician starts the secure encrypted call, with up to four participants in the video consultation.

How secure is Confrere for healthcare video calls?

Confrere meets strict security regulations including GDPR, HIPAA, and other applicable norms. The video calls are encrypted and built for the healthcare sector's privacy requirements.

Are video appointments reimbursable for physicians using Confrere?

Whether a physician can be reimbursed for video appointments depends on the telemedicine legislation in the physician's location. Confrere supports video appointments, but local regulation and reimbursement schemes apply.

How do I invite an interpreter when a patient has limited language or hearing competency?

You simply send the interpreter the same permanent link you use for your Confrere video consultations. They join the call alongside the patient and physician with no extra downloads or setup.

Can other healthcare professionals join a video consultation for integrated care coordination?

Yes. Integrated care coordination becomes easier when a physician, psychologist, nurse or social worker from another institution joins the secure video call through Confrere, enabling remote triage of new patients or follow-ups of regular ones while collaborating across healthcare branches and social services.

What are the benefits of offering video appointments in the physician's schedule?

Video appointments free up time in the physician's schedule and patients respond positively to them. They're easier to get started than you might think and can enhance convenience for both sides.

Confrere - Use-cases | Physicians

Confrere is HIPAA compliant. It meets all security and data protection requirements so that it's fit for the US healthcare sector. However, if you want to integrate video appointments - a.k.a. live synchronous video - into your practice, you first need to ensure that you can get reimbursed for those appointments.

Reimbursement policy varies

Medicare reimburses in all 50 states, while individual states determine reimbursement requirements for Medicaid and private insurance companies.

Medicare

Medicare reimburses for telemedicine, including several types of video appointments, according to federal policy.

Medicaid

49 states and D.C. have telehealth coverage laws through which Medicaid reimburses for video appointments. However, states may restrict reimbursement based on medical specialty type, the type of service, the location of the patient (a.k.a. originating site), and the location of the provider (a.k.a. distant site).

Private insurance companies

35 states and D.C. have telehealth parity laws, through which private insurance companies must reimburse the same rate for a video appointment as an in-person appointment, provided the quality of care is equal.

No two states are alike when it comes to telehealth reimbursement.

Telehealth Parity Laws

Currently, 35 states and D.C. have enacted parity laws, with laws pending in 4 more states. Telehealth parity laws mandate that private insurance companies reimburse providers for telehealth services at the same rate as the same in-person services, given the quality of care is equal

There are 35 states (and D.C.) with parity laws, 4 with pending parity laws, and 11 without.

States with parity laws

Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Georgia
Hawaii
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Texas
Vermont
Virginia
Washington