Frequently Asked Questions

For more information or for any questions not listed, please call MDLIVE, toll-free at (888)-961-4188

General Information

With MDLIVE, you can access a doctor from your home, or on the go- 24/7/365. Our board-certified doctors can visit with you either by phone, secure video, or via MDLIVE’s secure portal. MDLIVE does not replace your primary care doctor; however, physicians are available 24/7 to treat non-emergent medical conditions (like COVID-19, cold, flu, allergies, etc.) when your primary care physician (PCP) isn’t available. Behavioral health specialists can help treat emotional and behavioral health issues such as depression, anxiety, loss and grief, stress and challenges of everyday life, and relationship problems. You can schedule recurring visits with the same therapist or psychiatrist. Weekend and holiday appointments may be available. Appointment availability is based on providers’ specified hours. Dermatologists can diagnose and treat skin, hair, and nail conditions. No appointments are needed. You can upload an image of your condition through the secure MDLIVE portal. Our doctors can diagnose your symptoms, prescribe medication, and send prescriptions to your pharmacy of choice.
No. MDLIVE is designed to handle non-emergency medical issues. You should not use MDLIVE if you are experiencing a medical emergency. In case of a medical life-threatening emergency, you should dial 911 immediately. While MDLIVE is not intended to replace your primary care doctor for routine care or chronic conditions, a virtual doctor’s appointment can sometimes substitute a doctor’s office, urgent care, or an emergency room visit.
Acne
Allergies
Constipation
Cough
Diarrhea
Ear Problems
Fever
Flu
Headache
Insect Bites
Nausea
Pink Eye
Rash
Respiratory Problems
Sore Throats
Urinary problems/UTI
Vaginitis
Vomiting
You can easily sign up and activate your account by using one of the following methods:

1. Go online and visit: www.mdlive.com/ibxmedicare

2. Call our toll-free number: (888)-961-4188(TTY/TDD: (800) 770-5531) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

3. Download our mobile app, available on the iTunes store and Google Play.

You can start using MDLIVE immediately after you sign up and activate your account. Sign up and activation are totally free. If you are required to pay, you will only be asked for your credit card information after you visit a doctor. Once you have an MDLIVE account, you can browse doctor profiles, view available appointment times, and schedule an appointment with the doctor of your choice. Want to go one step further? Fill out your medical history profile to better prepare your MDLIVE doctor for your appointment.
MDLIVE is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, even on holidays. Use MDLIVE anytime you have a non-emergency medical condition, are unable to see your primary care provider, or when you simply prefer a convenient, cost-effective alternative to the emergency room, urgent care center, or clinic
MDLIVE is available anywhere in the United States**. MDLIVE's network of board-certified providers will be provided to you based on the state where you are located. MDLIVE makes sure that each provider is fully licensed to practice medicine in your state.
Getting started is totally free. Members have a $0 copay for non-emergent medical visits. Please check your Independence Blue Cross Evidence of Coverage for copayment and coinsurance information.
Yes, members can use MDLIVE on most mobile devices with an Internet connection. Our MDLIVE mobile app is available for download in the iTunes Store and the Google Play Store
All MDLIVE providers are U.S. board-certified and can treat a wide range of patients and conditions. Following each consultation, our members receive a survey to evaluate their provider and appointment. The results are analyzed and reviewed for quality assurance and used as part of our continuous improvement process. Selected provider consultations are also reviewed by our internal medical board.
Yes, if the MDLIVE provider believes medication is warranted, he or she can write a prescription for non-narcotic medications (i.e. no controlled substances), which can be sent directly to the pharmacy of your choice.* If for any reason your pharmacy is unable to receive e-prescriptions, a traditional prescription is generated for our providers to sign and fax. All prescriptions are fully compliant and include all required information.
Yes, MDLIVE is safe and private. MDLIVE is compliant with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and will only share your information with your health plan, selected provider, and pharmacy.
To use video conferencing you need:
• A smartphone, tablet, or computer equipped with
o Windows®7, Vista, or XP
o A Mac running OSX 10.6 (Snow Leopard) or superior.
o Highspeed internet connection
o A webcam with at least 1.3 megapixels
o Microphone (most webcams already have microphone built in)
After you set up an account, you can use a simple online simulation to test your configuration and check if you are ready for a virtual consultation.
Don’t see your question? Don’t worry. Just call us at (888)-961-4188 (TTY/TDD: (800 770-5531). We have highly trained health service specialists standing by to take your call, 24/7/365.

MDLIVE Dermatology

MDLIVE’s dermatology service is offered through our exclusive partnership with DermatologistOnCall. This service gives patients national access to board-certified dermatologists through a secure website or mobile device. Patients receive a full consultation, complete with a diagnosis, personalized treatment plan, and appropriate prescriptions. Patients can avoid lengthy waits for appointments and time-consuming trips to the doctor’s office.
Getting started is easy! No appointments are needed. All consultations are done by uploading an image of your condition through the secure MDLIVE portal, unless the patient’s state requires a video consultation. Patients simply choose dermatology from the medical options on the secure MDLIVE portal. They will be taken to a partner site, powered by DermatologistOnCall. After answering a few basic questions and providing a brief medical history, the patient will be asked to upload photos of the skin, nail, or hair condition. In an average of 24 hours a board-certified dermatologist will notify the patient of a diagnosis and treatment plan, which may include prescriptions.
Any adult can use the service.
MDLIVE’s dermatologists are trained to diagnose and treat over 3,000 medical conditions affecting the skin, hair, and nails. Depending on the case, the doctor may determine that an in-office diagnostic or therapeutic procedure is needed for a more accurate diagnosis or to best address the condition. That in-office visit would be outside of MDLIVE’s dermatology services, and payment or insurance coverage for those services would be separate. Please contact Independence to find an in-network dermatologist.
MDLIVE's dermatology services are not to be used in an emergency. In case of a medical life-threatening emergency, dial 911 immediately.
Please note that pregnant or nursing mothers, or those who are trying to become pregnant, are not permitted to conduct an online dermatology visit.
Teledermatology is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, even on holidays. Use MDLIVE’s dermatology service as a convenient alternative to visiting the dermatologist’s office or to avoid a lengthy wait for an appointment! After answering a few basic questions and providing a brief medical history, the patient will be asked to upload photos of the skin, nail, or hair condition. In an average of 24 hours, a board-certified dermatologist will notify the patient of a diagnosis and treatment plan, which may include prescriptions.
Through our exclusive partnership with DermatologistOnCall, MDLIVE has the largest national network of dermatologists who are certified by the American Board of Dermatology or the American Osteopathic Association. All dermatologists live within the United States and only see patients in states for which they are licensed. Each dermatologist is credentialed according to NCQA guidelines.
If the dermatologist determines a medication is necessary, they can write a prescription. For states that allow e-prescriptions from teledermatology, an order will be sent directly to the pharmacy. In other states, the dermatologist will need to fax the order through their office.
Independence Blue Cross Medicare Advantage members pay $0 copay for dermatology consultations. If an in-office diagnostic or therapeutic procedure is needed for a more accurate diagnosis or to best address the condition, that visit would be outside of MDLIVE’s dermatology services. Payment or insurance coverage for those services would be separate. Please contact Independence for assistance finding an in-network dermatologist. Please check your Independence Blue Cross Evidence of Coverage for copayment and coinsurance information.
MDLIVE accepts most major credit cards, debit cards, and HSA/FSA.
Patients can choose to share the visit notes with a primary care provider. If you choose to share your notes, your dermatologist will secure fax or electronically transmit your notes to your primary care provider.
Yes, we take patient safety and privacy very seriously. Teledermatology adheres to the national patient information security standards found in both HIPAA and HITECH regulations, including sharing information with any accepted insurance providers. Patient photos, personal and medical information, video chats, and diagnoses are never made public.
MDLIVE has highly trained health service specialists standing by to take your call, 24/7! Call us at 1-800-400-6354.

Behavioral Health with MDLIVE

Teletherapy is a new way to get care. You can see a licensed therapist through an online video therapy session/visit, on your schedule, from wherever you're located. Our HIPAA compliant teletherapy service is easy to use and requires no special hardware.
Coping With Loss & Grief
Anxiety
Depression
Financial Hardship
Marital Problems
Parenting Counseling & Advice
Problems at Work
Stresses & Challenges of Everyday Life
MDLIVE gives you access to only the most trustworthy professionals. Our therapists are all licensed and thoroughly screened. You can browse our network of therapists, read their profiles, check their credentials, and choose the therapist with whom you would like to speak.
You can talk to your therapist when it’s convenient for you - during the day, evenings, or weekends dependent on providers’ available appointments. With MDLIVE, you no longer need to travel to an office to meet with a therapist.
Teletherapy is a great option if you’re seeking a convenient, effective and affordable way to get care. When you’re traveling or if you’re just too busy to make regular office visits, teletherapy makes getting care easy. Our therapists can help you identify problems in your life, pursue practical solutions to those problems, and navigate any obstacles that come up along the way. We also have professionals who specialize in more specific issues, such as: stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, marriage counseling, LBGT issues, parenting, and more.
Getting started is totally free. Please check your Independence Blue Cross Evidence of Coverage for copayment and coinsurance information.
• There are two ways to connect with a therapist - either by phone or through secure video.

• Once you get to the MDLIVE home page, you can start looking for a therapist that is licensed in the state where you’re located. You can filter therapist profiles by gender, language or specialty. In each of the therapists’ profiles you will find their credentials, specialties, and schedules of available appointment times.

• Once you choose the therapist with whom you would like to speak, you can schedule the appointment time that works best for you. If you haven’t created an MDLIVE account yet, you will be asked to create a profile. You will then confirm your payment and appointment time.

• If you are seeing your therapist by phone, your therapist will call you at your scheduled appointment time.

• If you are seeing a therapist by video, you will log on to MDLIVE at your scheduled appointment time, and the website will direct you to begin a secure video visit with your therapist. You may need to complete a one-time download of our secure video application.

• If you have any issues setting up your account, our care coordinators are available to answer any questions 24/7/365 at (888)-961-4188 (TTY/TDD: (800) 770-5531.
If you have feelings that you may want to hurt yourself or someone else, please dial 911 or call the crisis counselors at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 988, where you’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area 24/7.
Disclaimers

* Please note: Some state laws require that a doctor can only prescribe medication in certain situations and subject to certain limitations.

* MDLIVE physicians may not treat any children with urinary symptoms.

* Parents/guardian will be required to complete a different medical history disclosure form for children under the age of 36-months prior to making an appointment with an MDLIVE physician. Children under 36 months who present with fever must be referred to their pediatrician (medical home), child-friendly urgent care center or emergency department for clinical evaluation and care.

MDLIVE does not replace the primary care physician. MDLIVE is not an insurance product nor a prescription fulfillment warehouse. MDLIVE operates subject to state regulation and may not be available in certain states. MDLIVE does not guarantee that a prescription will be written. MDLIVE does not prescribe DEA controlled substances, non-therapeutic drugs and certain other drugs which may be harmful because of their potential for abuse. MDLIVE physicians reserve the right to deny care for potential misuse of services. MDLIVE and the MDLIVE logo are registered trademarks of MDLIVE, Inc. and may not be used without written permission. For complete terms of use visit https://members.mdlive.com/MDLIVE/terms_of_use

Privacy Policy

MDLIVE Prescription Policy

Providers providing consultations for MDLIVE members offer prescriptions for a wide range of products that deliver direct medicinal value. These include, but are not limited to, drug classes such as antibiotics and antihistamines. Convenience prescriptions for maintenance medicines may also be obtained in cases where a member is in transition to a new insurance plan or provider.

It is important to note that MDLIVE is not a drug fulfillment warehouse. In the event a provider does prescribe medication, he/she will usually limit the supply to no more than thirty days. Patients with chronic illnesses should visit their primary care providers or other specialists for extended care. MDLIVE providers do not issue prescriptions for substances controlled by the DEA, for non-therapeutic use, and/or those which may be harmful (potential for abuse or addiction). For a current list of DEA controlled substances, visit http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/

** In Arkansas and Idaho; an initial visit must be completed via video. After an initial visit, subsequent consultations may be completed via phone.