Capstone Healthcare Services: Common Questions and Answers
To find answers to the most commonly asked questions, click on a question and the answer will appear.
Yes. We offer telemedicine and behavioral health services in both English and Spanish.
No. Our service is very different from a nurse hot line. Nurses do not have the educational background, training, licensing, or authority to practice comprehensive medicine. Unlike Telemedicine doctors, nurses are not permitted to make a medical diagnosis and cannot prescribe medical treatment or medications.
No. Our program was designed to be an integrated package of healthcare cost reduction services.
CapstoneCare works outside of and independent of a Member’s health insurance. The modest fees we charge are not reimbursable under your current health insurance program. All monthly fees associated with the Capstone Health Network program (including Telemedicine) are paid either by the Member or the Member’s employer or sponsoring organization.
No. CapstoneCare is limited to the United States and Puerto Rico.
Simply ask your employer to visit our website (www.capstonehealthNetwork.com) and review the information on the Employer and Business portion of our site. We will be glad to answer your employer’s questions and explain the benefits of providing our program as an employee benefit.
No. Our program is designed to augment but not replace a primary care physician. We provide our members with access to licensed physicians as a supplement to the care available from a primary care physician.
When the doctor feels a prescription is warranted, the doctor will use an e-prescribing tool to send the prescription order to the Member’s preferred pharmacy. Doctor’s are not permitted to prescribe narcotic-based drugs via telemedicine and all prescriptions will be provided according to each state’s applicable laws and regulations. Capstone also offers an international prescription service where prescription drugs can be legally sent safely and securely to a Member’s home. In many cases the cost of the same drug from the same manufacturing sent from a country such as Canada or England can cost up to 80% less than purchasing the same drug in the United States.
Yes. Telemedicine doctors are not permitted to prescribe narcotic-based medications, psychological medications, and any medication that would elevate blood pressure. Service is provided according to each state’s unique laws regarding telemedicine. If the doctor feels a prescription in warranted, they will write the prescription in compliance to the applicable state’s unique laws regarding telemedicine.
Yes. After speaking with the Member, the doctor will use their best medical judgment to determine whether to recommend a treatment plan which may or may not include prescriptions. If warranted, all prescriptions will be prescribed in compliance with the applicable state’s unique laws regarding telemedicine. In addition, Members can save up to 80% on all FDA-approved brand name and generic drugs by using the prescription card provided through this program, and/or the direct to home international prescription feature of CapstoneCare.
We follow the laws and regulations related to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to ensure patient privacy. Additionally, after each consultation, the doctor adds their relevant notes to the Member’s record. The Member can elect to have their medical record information shared with their primary care physician or other medical professionals.
Yes. Each patient must provide a medical history to the Care Coordinator and/or to the Telemedicine doctor prior to a telephone consultation. The consulting physician will review the medical history provided by the Member, plus any other relevant medical records stored in the Member’s personal HIPAA-compliant Electronic Medical Record (EMR) prior to speaking with the patient.
After you sign up for either the Individual or Family Plan you will receive New Member Instructions (generally by email) which will explain the benefits of this program and how you can easily access all of the features of the Capstone Health Network program by phone, video, or electronic devices.
Our tele-physicians are handpicked to provide the best care and service to our Members. They are:
- U.S. residents living and working in the United States
- Board-certified in internal medicine, family practice, emergency medicine, and/or pediatrics
- State-licensed. You will always speak with a doctor licensed to practice medicine in your state
- Highly experienced doctors with an average of 15 years of practice experience
- Verified through the National Physician Data Base (NPDB) and the American Medical Association (AMA) for medical licensure, training, education, work history, and malpractice history. In addition, a thorough background check has been conducted on each Telemedicine doctor
- Our quality processes meet National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) standards. NCQA is an independent, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality.
- Telemedicine doctors are re-credentialed every three years
Yes. There are no exclusions or denials because of pre-existing conditions. Moreover, there are no additional charges or fees because a Member has a pre-existing condition.
Yes. Members must be at least 18 years of age. However, a parent or guardian may participate in a medical consultation on behalf of each underage person who is listed on the Member’s account.
Our services are available 24/7/365 anywhere in the United States.
Members will be provided with access to physicians for the treatment of non-emergency, common medical conditions that require routine primary care. Typical reasons Members use our Telemedicine service include the common cold, flu, sore throat, nausea, rashes, pink eye, sinus infections, or to ask the tele-physician a question. If a Member has a medical situation that in the judgment of the Telemedicine physician requires further examination, the Telemedicine physician may recommend that the patient have blood work done, see a primary care physician, etc.
This program provides medical consultations with state licensed and board-certified physicians by your choice of phone, video, secure email, or electronic devices. The medical services offered during a consultation range from providing general advice to making a diagnosis, recommending treatment, and prescribing medication, when appropriate. Broadly speaking there are two different types of consultations available:
- Informational Consultations. These type of physician consultations are strictly informational such as for second opinions or advice. No diagnosis will be given and no medications will be prescribed.
- Diagnostic Consultations. These tend to be comprehensive medical consultations and may often result in a diagnosis and specific treatment recommendations. A medical history is obtained from you prior to this type of consultation and in some cases medication may be prescribed when the tele-physician believes they are medically appropriate. In the majority of cases, people will be able to speak with a state licensed, board-certified Telemedicine physician licensed to practice in your state in an average of 30 minutes.
Telemedicine doctors are experienced at treating patients remotely by phone, video, or electronic devices. The doctor will gather the information needed (by talking to the patient, by using video to look at a rash, etc.) to evaluate, diagnose, and recommend a treatment plan. This may or may not include writing prescriptions for medications.
If this program is provided to you by your employer, in most cases there will be no cost to you at all. If you are paying for the CapstoneCare for yourself the cost will vary depending on which state you reside. is just $29.95 for the 1st month and the 2nd month is is included. The cost will be $26.95 each month after for the CapstoneCare™ Premium Plan. Note: All CapstoneCare programs includes the Member, their spouse, and their dependent children up to the age of 26. For more information, please click on the Sign-Up Now selection tab at the top right of the Capstone Health Network website. This will take you to a section that will provide the current pricing and simple instructions for how you and your family can sign up for this program today.
Urgent care centers and emergency rooms are useful for specific types of services such as broken bones, heart attacks, strokes, etc. However, according to an independent study, 70%-80% of the reasons people visit urgent care facilities or the ER do not require this level of treatment and can be satisfactorily handled by a Telemedicine physician. This has several advantages which are as follows:
1. Telemedicine costs significantly less than an urgent care and or emergency room visit, which can cost between $250 – $1,000 each. Moreover, if you are signed up for our program through your employer there will typically be no cost to you at all!
2. Going to an urgent care or emergency room requires you to drive to an outside facility when you are feeling ill.
3. In addition, there is always risk for exposure to bacteria and viruses that can be found in emergency rooms and urgent care centers. By contrast, you can talk to a Telemedicine physician from the safety, comfort and convenience of your own home.
3. Once at an urgent care or emergency room you will likely experience an extended wait. If the facility is busy you may find yourself sitting for hours in a room full of sick people waiting to talk to a doctor. With the CapstoneCare you will typically be able to talk to one of our telemedicine doctors within 30 minutes without having to leave the comfort of your home when you don’t feel well.
No. You are free to speak with one of our highly experienced telemedicine doctors as often and for as long you need. However, in certain cases, the doctor may feel telemedicine is not the best solution and may direct the Member to a local hospital, urgent care, or primary care physician.
Our goal is to provide you with access to physicians 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The average time to speak with one of our 1,100 physicians is 30 minutes or less.
Telemedicine is a rapidly growing healthcare cost reduction program that has been written about extensively in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and many other prestigious publications. It has also been the subject of a Diane Sawyer feature story on ABC television’s nightly news. Telemedicine provides individuals and families with a proven, affordable way to talk to a doctor from home or anywhere 24 hours a day via phone, video, or electronic devices. The goal of Telemedicine is to make obtaining healthcare more accessible, affordable, convenient, and to bring down the high costs of obtaining medical care.
Yes. You do not need to currently have health insurance to become a Member of the CapstonCare.
Yes. You do not have to obtain CapstoneCare through your employer to sign up and enjoy the benefits of this invaluable health and dental program.