Now that e-mail is also a viable way to deliver health care in some circumstances, it is imperative that physicians speak out in favor of fair reimbursement for these services. Receiving reimbursement for the services we provide is a critical issue. However, there are some things you can do now to integrate e-mail into your work. Since you spend considerable time on the phone with patients, you probably often find a pile of message slips on your desk. This is a faster way to communicate, giving you more time to spend with patients.
Some doctors provide continuous e-mail service and charge a monthly fee.
Medicare, Medicaid, and other health insurers wouldn't pay for this service, but many patients would. You would need to check any contracts you have with health insurance plans to see if they would permit such billing. As you mentioned, using the telephone and e-mail to communicate can be an efficient way to serve our patients. Someday, insurance carriers will realize that better service at lower cost is worth paying for. We need to prove this in primary care with good research, and by developing models to contract for the services we provide.