Telehealth means speaking with a doctor at a distance. For a visit, choose a place where you can talk, have your notes to hand and ask for a word to be explained.
Plan the visit and the checks
The doctor’s licence or other authority to practise must cover where you are during the visit, according to HHS guidance checked September 26, 2026.
The department behind that guidance is the US Department of Health and Human Services, shortened here to HHS. Tell the service where you will be joining the visit, even if you are travelling away from home. Ask how the doctor is authorised there.
Leave room for questions and tests
The Federation of State Medical Boards says an online form with a fixed list of questions is not enough on its own. The doctor must also have a way to ask more questions after your first answers.
The policy also requires the doctor to arrange any needed in-person tests or examination, or refer you to another clinician who can.
That federation brings state medical boards together; its policy is guidance, while state rules govern the visit. Ask who handles each part of follow-up.
Read the source notes
Source-check dates: September 17, 2026 / September 26, 2026.
- HHS: doctor licences for care at a distance
- Federation of State Medical Boards: policy on remote care
The medical boards’ policy is guidance; the binding rules come from the state.
Ask for confirmation of the current product, rules and costs before deciding on care.