Frequently Asked Questions about SkyMD^® and Online Dermatology

Short answer? Yes! They are the same people, in fact. All SkyMD dermatologists hold a state medical licence where they practice medicine, and are board certified with the American Academy of Dermatology (the AAD). They see patients in person, and many of them operate their own practices in their local cities. Practicing medicine through the internet is exactly the same as practicing medicine face-to-face, per the requirements of all State Boards of Medicine. Most medical insurance companies now cover telemedicine visits and typically pay doctors the same whether evaluating a patient online or in-person. Telemedicine also allows our dermatologists to reach patients in more remote areas of their US state or see people who are too busy to come into their clinic. Many of our patients comment that the service they receive on SkyMD is better than an in-person medical visit because they don’t feel rushed and they get more details about their skin condition.

Telemedicine usually means one of two methods for interacting with your doctor: (1) by uploading photos of your skin condition, or (2) through a scheduled live video conference. SkyMD dermatologists are able to evaluate your skin condition by reviewing your photos and medical history. To start a new visit, take a photo of your skin condition and upload it. Then, let your physician know some basic information, such as how long your skin condition has persisted or what prescriptions you’re currently using. After that, just sit back and wait for your dermatologist to contact you regarding your evaluation and treatment plan. You will be able to chat back and forth with your dermatologist. They may ask you more questions, and they love it when you ask them questions!

You can start using SkyMD immediately! The first step is to register a new account, which is completely free. Then, start a new patient case or visit, like a regular doctor’s appointment, but without the wait! If you are required to pay, you will only be asked for your credit card information when you visit with one of our dermatologists. Once you have a SkyMD account you can browse doctor profiles and start a visit with the doctor of your choice; provided that doctor is licensed in your home state. Tip: Be sure to fill out your medical history profile to better prepare your SkyMD dermatologist for your appointment.

SkyMD’s services are only available to patients located in the United States, and we are currently offering services in 50 US states, plus the District of Columbia! You can view our national map by selecting the menu item named Dermatologists Near Me above. We are working very hard to provide access to 100% of the US population, as quickly as we can!

SkyMD is available all the time! You can submit a visit on SkyMD 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and even on holidays. Use SkyMD anytime you have a non-medical emergency skin disease or condition. In the event of an emergency, you should always call 911 immediately.

SkyMD welcomes all patients residing in the United States! Our service is especially convenient for patients with a busy schedule or those who have difficulty scheduling an appointment with their local dermatologist. We also work with many patients who have disabilities that make it difficult for them to see their doctor or dermatologist in person.

SkyMD board-certified dermatologists can see patients of all ages, from newborns up to centenarians (patients over 100 years old)! For minors, a parent or guardian must first register on the SkyMD platform, complete the informed consent step, and then add the minor to their account as a patient. We do require a parent or guardian’s consent to any treatments prior to completing the evaluation and prescribing any necessary medications.

We respond as quickly as we can and are proud to be tracking our response time in real-time on our home page. We aim to respond to all new patient cases in less than one hour. Once we respond, we will most likely have questions for you, so be ready for those. SkyMD doctors are thorough! Make sure your phone notifications are turned on and active for our downloaded app, and that you are checking for emails from us. After we ask and answer questions, both ours and yours, most cases are completed in under 24 hours, depending on the complexity of the case. If a case is more complex, it may take longer than 24 hours to be completed, due to the amount of detail the dermatologist will require, and provide.

Generally, you do not need to schedule a video call with your dermatologist to complete the evaluation. Some states do require a video call for the initial visit, or if a doctor prescribes medicine for a new patient. We sometimes insist on a video call if our doctors prefer to interact with a patient that way. For example, video is useful with more complex cases, and we do require a video conference to consult about prescription side effects, like those possible when prescribing Accutane for acne.

Bottom line: We won’t give up on you, and will refer you to one of our partner dermatologists. SkyMD dermatologists are board certified and are able to evaluate any skin disease or condition, however some skin diseases require an in-person consultation. Telemedicine is still a great way to start the medical evaluation process, though. At SkyMD, we strive to provide the continuity of care sometimes needed for the patient and will refer you to a local clinic, if we feel that is best for you. In particular, if one of our doctors observes something in your visit that needs to be treated in-person, such as a suspicious mole needing a biopsy, or a wart needing to be frozen off, or some similar dermatology procedure, we will help you find a local clinic or doctor that can better assist you. Our doctors are surrounded by a fantastic support staff of medical assistants that can coordinate with one of our clinic partners to get you scheduled with an in-clinic dermatologist that can continue your care.

After you register, you will be asked to select from a list of dermatologists who are in our network and licensed to practice in your state. If you don't see your dermatologist listed, contact us and we'll do our best to get them on board!

You can sign up on SkyMD by using one of the following methods. Click the SEE A DOCTOR button in the upper right corner at the top of this page. You can also download our mobile app, which is available on iTunes and Google Play stores. If you encounter any issues or have questions, please contact us at 858-900-2766. You will receive a confirmation email upon completion of registration.

Yes, SkyMD accepts most major PPO insurance across the United States, as well as several HMO or government insurances, including some Medicaid in select US States, Medicare, and Tricare plans. It is important to note that although your insurance might be “eligible” because SkyMD can accept it, your personal insurance plan may not cover telemedicine services, or consider SkyMD an in-network provider. If you don’t have a qualifying insurance for telehealth/telemedicine, you will be considered a cash pay patient. For your convenience, here are some accepted insurances whose plans cover telemedicine services: Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, United Healthcare, and Health Net.

If you do not have insurance, SkyMD works with cash paying patients, providing a discount in most cases. This includes a diagnosis, a detailed treatment plan, any necessary prescriptions, and unlimited messaging for follow-up questions to your doctor for 7 days. SkyMD accepts Paypal, most ‘wallet’ methods, all major credit and debit cards, HSA, and FSA cards.

For any cash/self pay patients, once you select your pricing option you will be charged in full up-front for your visit, before a SkyMD doctor is assigned to you. If you have an accepted insurance, you will be prompted to pay your co-pay, if your insurance plan has one, prior to submitting your visit. After the visit is submitted, we will bill your insurance. Depending on your insurance plan’s deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, and co-insurance, you will receive a bill for any remaining cost of the visit. The amount of the bill depends on how much your insurance is willing to cover.

Unlike other telehealth platforms, SkyMD believes in helping patients from start to finish. This includes a thorough examination, yielding one or more diagnoses, a detailed explanation of your diagnoses and a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to you. We also understand prescriptions can be costly. Our medical assistants are trained to help you find prescriptions that are affordable for your budget. You will also be able to contact your physician through the chat box for up to 7 days after your evaluation is complete.

No. SkyMD can cover most non-emergency dermatology issues. You should not use SkyMD if you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency. In the event of a medical emergency, you should dial 911 immediately. SkyMD is intended to treat a large variety of non-life threatening skin conditions. Our doctors can evaluate your skin condition remotely, provide their opinion as to the next best steps with an evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment plan, and in some cases refer you to a local doctor if face-to-face procedures are required as part of your treatment plan.

SkyMD’s board certified dermatologists are trained to treat a wide variety of skin conditions. The most common skin diseases and conditions we see patients have on SkyMD are: · Acne and Acne Scars · Cold Sores · Rashes · Eczema · Psoriasis · Rosacea · Dandruff · Hair Loss · Toenail Fungus · Athlete’s Foot · Skin Aging and Wrinkles · Skin Lesions · Skin Discoloration · Eyelash Thinning · Excessive Sweating/ Hyperhidrosis · Warts · And More

Yes. If the SkyMD dermatologist believes medication is warranted, he or she will write a prescription for non-narcotic medications (i.e. no controlled substances), which can be sent directly to the pharmacy of your choice. As soon as your consultation is over, your prescription will be sent electronically to the pharmacy. If for any reason your pharmacy is unable to receive e-prescriptions, a traditional prescription is generated for our doctors to sign and fax. All prescriptions are fully compliant and include all required information.

Yes, SkyMD’s team is thoroughly trained to submit prior authorizations, with a high success rate. If a prior authorization is needed, your pharmacy will usually notify our team and our medical assistants will submit one as soon as possible. It usually takes between 3-14 days to hear back from your insurance, and a medical assistant will reach out to you regarding the approval or denial.

SkyMD always takes cost and affordability into consideration. Our medical assistants are very knowledgeable about insurance and prescription prices. Generally, our rule of thumb is to try to get any prescriptions covered through your insurance, with a low co-pay. If something is too expensive, do not pick it up. Contact your provider and medical assistant. Our staff will give you different options for prescriptions that fit your budget. In some states, we have started dispensing directly to our patients, cutting down on costs for everyone.

Yes, SkyMD does prescribe Accutane and biologics, including Otezla, Humira, Enbrel, Cosentyx, Taltz, and more. Use of these drugs often require close monitoring while you are on them and separately require frequent blood work being ordered from local laboratories.

Yes, SkyMD is a multi-platform application. You can use SkyMD on most mobile devices, tablets, as well as computers. Our SkyMD app is available on Apple iTunes Store and Google Play Store, and our website is www.skymd.com.

At SkyMD, we take your privacy very seriously! Laws are also in place to protect your privacy. The HIPAA Privacy Rule is designed to be a minimum level of protection. Some states have even stricter laws in place to protect your personal health information. SkyMD can share your information with your primary care provider in accordance with applicable state and federal laws. We also go to extra lengths to protect your information. You are issued an encrypted login and password when you register. Do not ever share this information with any other person. We also encrypt all data transmissions on our platform. For credit card info, we do not store card numbers, and encrypt them during the one time we do use them to charge you for our services.

If you have a question and don’t see it answered in our FAQs, please call us at 858-900-2766 or email us at info@skymd.com.