Medical Advice Through MyChart: How It Works and What It Costs

Connecting with your care team through MyChart can be a convenient way to receive and provide important medical information. Most messages are free, but depending on the nature and complexity, a message may be billed to your insurance company. Learn more about how MyChart works and what may be billed to insurance.

Why Some MyChart Messages are Billed to Insurance

Messaging your provider has become a popular way to seek care, especially with an increase in demand for virtual health care options.

While most messages sent through MyChart are handled quickly and never result in a bill to insurance, complex messages may be billed.

To provide timely and excellent care, BJC HealthCare and Washington University Physicians are pleased to offer the below choices – including medical advice – through MyChart messaging:

• In-person visits
• Video visits
• Phone visits
• eVisits
• Medical advice messaging through MyChart

Cost of Medical Advice Messages Through MyChart

Most messages are free, but starting May 24, 2023, complex messages may be billed to your insurance. BJC HealthCare and Washington University Physicians may bill for responses that require medical expertise.

If a message is billed to insurance, BJC HealthCare and Washington University Physicians will handle the billing. Please see below for examples of what may or may not be billed.

There may be a co-pay cost based on your insurance company’s guidelines. To learn what your out-of-pocket cost for a medical advice message will be, please contact your insurance company.

What Counts as Medical Advice Messaging

If the response requires your provider’s clinical time and expertise, the provider may bill this to your insurance.

Examples of messages (including but not limited to) that may be billed to insurance:

• A new issue or symptom requiring medical assessment or referral
• Adjusting medications
• Chronic disease check-in
• Flare-up or change in chronic condition
• Request to complete a form

What Messaging Will not be Billed

Examples of messages (including but not limited to) that will not be billed to insurance:

• Request for a prescription refill
• Request to schedule an appointment
• Message that leads to your provider recommending a visit
• Follow-up care related to a recent surgery or delivery (within the past 90 days)
• Updates for your provider when no response is needed
• Messages that are answered by your provider’s nurse (RN or LPN), medical assistant (MA) or medical secretary
• Messages that take a minute or two to answer

Contact Us

If you have a billing inquiry, please contact the facility where you received care so we can assist you.

• BJC HealthCare patient financial services at 314-996-7211
• Washington University Physicians patient financial services at 314-273-0500