Offering Telehealth services can have many benefits for your clients and your practice, and it's included on all subscription plans at no additional cost.
In this guide, we'll cover:
- Benefits of using telehealth by SimplePractice
- Understanding billing for telehealth
- Reviewing laws and regulations
- Enabling camera and microphone access for telehealth
- Getting your clients ready for telehealth
- Turning telehealth off in your account
- Other resources available for telehealth
- Billing and legal policy FAQs for telehealth
Benefits of using telehealth by SimplePractice
Unlike a stand-alone provider for video appointments, SimplePractice offers a fully integrated suite of practice management tools. Having your video appointments, calendar, client details, and more all in one platform can save your practice time and make these features more accessible.
You’ll also have access to related features like:
- Custom appointment reminders with telehealth links
- Unlimited appointments and session length
- Integrated telehealth locations for superbills and electronic claim filing
- An online Client Portal where existing and prospective clients can request telehealth appointments
- Our telehealth mobile app
Understanding billing for telehealth
If you plan to bill insurance for telehealth appointments, reach out to your insurance payers to determine what their requirements are and what they cover. To learn more, see Navigating Telehealth insurance billing - Ask A Biller, presented by SimplePractice.
You can also download our Telehealth Resources Directory to find links to legal, educational, and insurance resources for telehealth.
For more questions, see Billing and legal policy FAQs for telehealth.
Reviewing laws and regulations
While most clinicians can offer telehealth, it’s important to learn about your local laws and regulations. Because these guidelines are updated often, it’s a best practice to check them regularly and stay informed.
We recommend that you:
- Check whether your state has a parity law covering telemedicine by visiting the American Telemedicine Association's State Policy Center and The Center for Connected Health Policy's (CCHP)
- Visit the Medicare Telehealth Payment Eligibility Analyzer to see what you can expect in terms of reimbursement
For more questions, see Billing and legal policy FAQs for telehealth.
HIPAA compliance
SimplePractice is HIPAA compliant. We meet or exceed all the requirements of HIPAA as a business associate, including the Business Associate Agreement (BAA) in which SimplePractice agrees to be responsible for keeping all client information private. For more information, see Being HIPAA compliant with SimplePractice.
Additionally, SimplePractice has a partnership with the Telebehavioral Health Institute. The Telebehavioral Health Institute holds a high criteria with whom they partner, and we’re proud of our relationship with them.
BAA for telehealth
When you sign up for your trial with SimplePractice, you also agree to our Terms of Service and Business Associate Agreement (BAA). Signing up for your trial constitutes a legally binding agreement, as stated when you select the checkbox and click Start my free trial.
All features in our platform are covered in this agreement, including telehealth.
There’s no need for you to agree to or "sign" the BAA again once you switch to a paid subscription. To access a copy of the agreement, see SimplePractice BAA.
Enabling camera and microphone access for telehealth
Clients aren't required to install any applications on their computers when using telehealth, as it seamlessly operates in their web browsers. However, devices and browsers need permission to access the camera and microphone. If you or your client can’t see or hear each other, it’s likely that the browser doesn’t have the required permissions enabled.
Note: Anytime you enable camera or microphone access within a browser, we recommend that you close and reopen the browser to save those changes.
Chrome
On a Mac
- Navigate to System Settings > Privacy & Security
- Choose Microphone and make sure Google Chrome is toggled On
- Return to Privacy & Security
- Choose Camera and make sure Google Chrome is toggled On
On a PC
- Navigate to Start > Settings > Privacy
- Select Camera and Microphone from the available options within App Permissions on the left panel
- Under Allow apps to access your (camera/microphone), turn the toggle On
- Under Allow desktop apps to access your (camera/microphone), turn the toggle On and check to see if Google Chrome is listed
Within Chrome
- Open Chrome
- At the top right, click the three vertical dots > Settings
- Click Privacy and security > Site settings
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Click Camera and Microphone
- Make sure https://video.simplepractice.com is listed under Allowed to use your camera and Allowed to use your microphone
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- If it's under Not allowed to use your camera or Not allowed to use your microphone, click the trashcan icon to the right
Safari
- Open Safari
- Go to Safari > Settings > Websites
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For both the Camera and the Microphone:
- If video.simplepractice.com has Deny or Ask next to it, change it to Allow from the dropdown menu on the right
Firefox
On a Mac
- Navigate to System Settings > Privacy & Security
- Choose Camera and Microphone from the list of available options and make sure the toggle to the right of Firefox is On
On a PC
- Navigate to Start > Settings > Privacy
- Choose Camera and Microphone from the available options and select their permissions for Allow apps to access your (camera/microphone)
- Under Choose which apps can access your (camera/microphone), toggle Firefox On
Within Firefox
- Click the three vertical dots
- Choose Settings > Privacy & Security
- Scroll down to the Permissions section
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Click Settings beside Camera and Microphone
- If https://video.simplepractice.com has Block next to it, change it to Allow from the dropdown menu
Edge
On a Mac
- Navigate to System Settings > Privacy & Security
- Choose Camera and Microphone from the list of available options and make sure the toggle to the right of Edge is On
On a PC
- Edge automatically has access to your camera and microphone because it's the default browser for Windows devices
Within Edge
- Click on the padlock in the URL bar at the top of the browser and make sure Camera and Microphone are set to Allow
Getting your clients ready for telehealth
You may have clients who aren’t familiar with telehealth. To help with telehealth adoption from your clients, you can:
- Promote telehealth as an option for clients on your website, social media, in your practice newsletter, or via email
- If clients call to request or reschedule appointments, offer telehealth as an alternative
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Enable online appointment requests through SimplePractice and create availability blocks for telehealth so that clients will see a virtual office option in the Client Portal
- For answers to questions they may have, you can direct clients to our Getting started with telehealth guide for clients
Clients may have questions about telehealth appointments. Here are some common questions clients might ask, along with recommended responses:
| Client questions | Recommended responses |
| What is telehealth? | “Telehealth allows us to meet through audio and video over the internet.” |
| How does telehealth work? | "You’ll be sent a link for the video appointment. Click on it when our appointment is scheduled to start or open it through the telehealth by SimplePractice app (which you can download for free in the app store). You can use the camera and audio on your computer or mobile device.” |
| How much will it cost? | "Your cost for a video appointment will vary depending on the coverage you have with your insurance provider. Most insurances charge a copayment just like traditional appointments, and it most likely will be the same amount. We can determine your exact coverage and what your copay will be before we schedule an appointment.” |
Tip: For more answers to commonly asked questions, you can send your clients our Getting started with Telehealth guide for clients.
Here are some additional tips that can set you and your clients up for success:
- Join the video appointment 5-10 minutes before the scheduled time so you can make sure that everything is set up correctly.
- Restart your computer every day for it to run as efficiently as possible.
- Close any unnecessary programs and applications on your computer before joining a telehealth call. These take away from resources needed for your computer to run efficiently.
- Keep your software and operating system up-to-date. Install recommended updates only from sources you trust.
- You may need to adjust the volume or mute/unmute your speakers to prepare for the call. We also recommend keeping a pair of headphones nearby in case you need to use them for improved audio/voice.
- Clients might need to cancel or have questions about the appointment before the start time, so make sure you are actively checking your email and phone.
- When your video camera is turned on, there’s more strain on your internet connection which can impact the audio quality during a telehealth call. If your audio becomes choppy, your connection or your client's may not be strong enough to support a live video stream. Turning off your camera, or asking your client to turn off theirs, may help to improve the audio quality of the call.
Turning telehealth off in your account
Telehealth is included on all 3 subscription plans at no additional cost. Turning telehealth off will remove the Video Office location from your account. To do this:
- Navigate to Settings > Practice > Practice details
- Under Telehealth, click Turn off
- Click Turn off Telehealth
Note: You can also customize the Video Office location to fit your practice needs by clicking Edit.
To re-enable Telehealth:
- Navigate to Settings > Practice > Practice details
- Under Telehealth, click Turn on
Important: When you signed up for your trial account with SimplePractice, you also agreed to our Terms of Service and Business Associate Agreement. All features in our platform are covered by this agreement, including telehealth. See Getting started with telehealth for more information.
Other resources available for telehealth
- Preparing for telehealth appointments
- Telehealth on a mobile device
- Managing telehealth settings
- Troubleshooting telehealth appointment issues
- Getting Started with Telehealth on-demand class
- Telehealth guides for clients
- Navigating Telehealth insurance billing - Ask A Biller, presented by SimplePractice
- Telehealth Checklist
Billing and legal policy FAQs for telehealth
- Where can I get information on my state's telehealth policies?
- Does insurance reimburse telehealth appointments? If so, is there anything special I need to do? Is the amount less than an in-person session reimbursement?
- How does billing work?
- Which Insurance Place of Service code should I use for telehealth appointments?
- How do I change my telehealth location Insurance Place of Service code from 02 to 10?
- What if I’ll be alternating between Insurance Place of Service codes 02 and 10?
- How does state licensure work?
- What are the requirements/restrictions regarding providing telehealth services to minors?
Where can I get information on my state's telehealth policies?
The following organizations provide resources to help you learn more about your state’s specific policies and regulations:
- The Center for Connected Health Policy's (CCHP)
- American Telemedicine Association (ATA)’s State Policy Center
- State Medicaid Websites
Does insurance reimburse telehealth appointments? If so, is there anything special I need to do? Is the amount less than an in-person session reimbursement?
To find out more your state’s specific telehealth reimbursement guidelines, see:
- The Center for Connected Health Policy's (CCHP) publishes an annual report that has up-to-date reimbursement policies for all fifty states and the District of Columbia.
- American Telemedicine Association (ATA) also provides information on which states reimburse telehealth services.
- Your local state board will have resources and information on how telehealth reimbursement policies relate to your specific license type (LMFT, LPC, etc.).
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) makes changes to what is considered eligible for telehealth reimbursement every year.
- Medicare Telehealth Payment Eligibility Analyzer allows you to check if specific addresses are eligible for Medicare Telehealth reimbursement.
How does billing work?
When billing insurance, always check with the individual insurance payer to determine whether telehealth services are covered and which codes or modifiers should be used for different types of services.
It’s important to check directly with the insurance payer because coverage for telehealth changes frequently. Download our Telehealth Resources Directory to find links to legal, educational, and insurance resources for telehealth.
Which Insurance Place of Service code should I use for telehealth appointments?
The Insurance Place of Service (POS) codes for telehealth are:
- 02 - Telehealth Provided Other than in Patient's Home
- 10 - Telehealth Provided in Patient's Home
If you’re billing insurance or providing clients with superbills, we recommend contacting the payer directly for clarification on which code you should use, as payers may have different requirements.
Once you determine which Place of Service code you’re going to use, you can make the adjustments to your telehealth Video Office location. For more guidance, see Editing the Insurance Place of Service.
How do I change my telehealth location Insurance Place of Service code from 02 to 10?
To bill insurance using the Insurance Place of Service Code 10 - Telehealth Provided in Patient's Home, you can change the Place of Service code for your Video Office location. To do this:
- Navigate to Settings > Practice > Practice details
- Scroll down to the Telehealth section
- Click Edit next to Video Office
- From the drop down under Insurance Place of Service, choose 10 - Telehealth Provided in Patient's Home
- Click Save
What if I’ll be alternating between Insurance Place of Service codes 02 and 10?
Only one telehealth location can be saved at a time, and only this location will generate telehealth links. If you’ll be alternating telehealth Place of Service codes for claim filing, we recommend creating a second office location for the Place of Service code you use less often. After a telehealth appointment has occurred, you can update its Location on the calendar to the second office location. This will allow the appointment to be billed with the alternate place of service code, while keeping its telehealth functionality.
Important: Only the location listed under Telehealth on your Practice details page will generate telehealth links. To make sure your clients receive links to their telehealth appointments, we recommend scheduling your telehealth appointments at this location, then updating the Location to bill a different place of service.
To create the additional location:
- Navigate to Settings > Practice > Practice details
- Under Office location, click Add a location
- Enter an Office Name
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Enter an address for the location, or enter dashes into the address fields and your state from the dropdown if you prefer not to list a specific address
- Choose Hide Address under Public View
Note: A scrub error may occur if you use dashes for an office location and include Service Facility Location (Box 32) on claim forms. To prevent this, you can either uncheck the box to include box 32 on claim forms in Settings > Client billing and insurance > Insurance documents, or enter an address for this office location. Many payers don’t require box 32 to be filled out on claims, so we recommend contacting the payer for further details.
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Choose the alternate place of service code you wish to use
- This will be either 10 - Telehealth Provided in Patient’s Home or 02 - Telehealth Provided Other than in Patient’s Home
- Click Save
Since only the Telehealth location will generate a telehealth link, you’ll want to select that location when scheduling the appointment. Then, after the appointment has taken place, you can update the Location of the appointment to the other office location to bill with the alternate place of service code.
To change the location after the appointment has occurred:
- Navigate to your calendar and click the appointment
- From the appointment fly-out, select your alternate location
- Click Done
How does state licensure work?
Clinicians must be licensed in each state in which they want to provide telehealth appointments.
What are the requirements/restrictions regarding providing telehealth services to minors?
The age at which a person may lawfully consent to care varies with the health condition at issue, the person’s state of residence, or the state where the patient is at the time of the telehealth visit. Therefore, clinicians should be aware of the rules for the state in which the client is physically located for that visit.