MaineHealth, the nonprofit that owns Pen Bay Medical Center, in Rockport, and Waldo County General Hospital, in Belfast said March 28 in a letter to individuals who have used MaineHealth medical services and provided an email address to the organization that it is offering secure telehealth video visits, “for patients seen at our outpatient practices.”   “If your provider decides that video is needed for your upcoming visit, your practice will contact you with more information,” according to the letter.   What is a telehealth video visit? A video visit is like a regular in-person visit, just over video. You sit in front of a camera, (it can be on a computer, phone, or tablet), and can see your provider on the screen. You can use the visit to talk about medical concerns, symptoms, get a prescription, a diagnosis, and more. Video visits allow patients to have a visit with their provider without having to travel or leave their home.   How do I schedule my video visit? Your practice will contact you if they think that your visit is appropriate for video. Or you can contact your provider’s office for more information and to see if video visits are available with your provider.    Will my insurance cover video visits? Most insurers are now covering video visits. This is in response to an increasing number of health systems moving toward telehealth services to help limit community exposure. If you have questions, or want to confirm coverage for your upcoming visit, please contact your insurance company.   In addition to now offering video visits to our patients, here are a few additional reminders:  

• To protect our patients, families, and care teams, MaineHealth is cancelling and rescheduling non-urgent appointments and services and urging patients to stay home, if at all possible. What this means for you:
• We are cancelling non-urgent office appointments.
• This includes yearly check-ups and any other appointment that can be rescheduled for a later date.
• We are not doing any elective procedures at our hospitals and outpatient facilities.
• This includes surgeries that can be delayed without causing harm to the patient.

  “Staying home will help keep you and your loved ones safe, reducing the spread of COVID-19 in our communities,” said MaineHealth.  

• New visitor restrictions at MaineHealth locations. To further help reduce the spread of COVID-19, MaineHealth has started new visitor restrictions at many of our locations. For more information, click here. 

 

• We continue to provide important COVID-19 updates on our website. For more information on coronavirus, commonly asked questions, and additional resources, click here.

 

• We need your help in flattening the curve. Our care teams are working around the clock to care for our most vulnerable patients. Please continue to wash your hands often, practice social distancing, stay home if you have mild symptoms, and contact your provider if you are having serious symptoms.

  “Containing the spread of COVID-19 in our communities is of utmost importance to our health system, and as the situation evolves, we will continue to update you,” the letter said. “Thank you for doing your part to stay well and flatten the curve.”