On July 1, MultiCare implemented fees for MyChart messages, joining a growing number of health systems aiming to manage the increasing volume of patient communications.
According to the Tacoma, Wash.-based health system's website, the volume of MyChart messages has continued to rise, prompting the organization to take steps to manage the increased demand on its providers. This step will include billing insurance for MyChart messages that require more than five minutes of clinical time and medical expertise to address.
Patients with Medicaid will not incur out-of-pocket costs for MyChart messages. For Medicare patients, MyChart messages will cost between $3 and $7. Patients without insurance or whose insurance does not cover MyChart messages will be billed $35 per message, according to MultiCare.
The health system said this move aims to ensure timely responses to patient inquiries, some of which have started to replace in-person or virtual visits.
Charging for MyChart has become a growing trend over the past year, with healthcare organizations such as Seattle-based UW Health, Cleveland Clinic, Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health and others moving toward fees for longer patient inquiries.