If you believe you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, dial 911 immediately.
Accessing Care
If you need ER-Alternative Care now, book an appointment online in minutes. We’ll ask a few questions then let you know what to expect. Please visit Our Services page to learn about accessing our other lines of care, designed to support those facing serious or complex medical concerns.
We employ physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and medical technicians — the same kinds of experienced healthcare professionals you might find in a hospital or ER. Our care always begins with a visit from a healthcare professional to your home. Based on your needs and the type of care you are enrolled in, our professionals will continue to provide care in person or remotely. An emergency or hospital medicine doctor is always just a phone call away.
We treat many of the same conditions that are traditionally handled in an ER or hospital, including serious and chronic concerns. Please visit our Services Overview to understand the types of care we offer, or see our Conditions page for a list of common health concerns we treat and support.
Yes, in many cases our care providers can perform lab tests and arrange for imaging services in the home. In some cases we may take samples and send them to an outside lab facility for processing. In other cases, we may direct you to follow up yourself with a lab that we recommend.
If your condition calls for x-rays or other imaging, your DispatchHealth care provider may help you arrange for these services.
For ER-Alternative Care, our professionals are typically available for same-day scheduling. When you book your appointment, you’ll select a 4-hour window that works for you from the available options. Occasionally if demand is very high in your area, you will be offered next-day scheduling. Our teams operate with extended hours 7 days a week, holidays included, to make at-home healthcare as accessible as possible.
Yes. Our Transitional Care at Home is available through referral from your healthcare or insurance provider. Our options range from a single visit to help you get settled at home to up to 30 days of sustained support in the comfort and safety of home. If you’re a candidate for Transitional Care, we work with your primary healthcare provider or specialists to set up a plan that matches your needs. We encourage you to talk to your healthcare provider if you believe Transitional Care is a good fit for you or someone you care for.
DispatchHealth Hospital-Alternative Care at Home is available through referral from your healthcare or insurance provider. Our teams provide hospital-level care led by a hospitalist physician and supported by a physician assistant or nurse practitioner and 24×7 virtual monitoring. If you’re a candidate for Hospital-Alternative Care, we work with your primary healthcare provider or specialists to set up a plan that matches your needs. We encourage you to talk to your healthcare provider if you believe Hospital-Alternative Care is a good fit for you or someone you care for.
No. We serve as a partner to primary care providers and specialists to help increase patients’ access to high-quality medical care at every stage of their health journey. We’re available for a wide range of services from ER-Alternative Care to Transitional Care and Hospital-Alternative Care at Home. However, we do not take the place of primary care providers and dedicated specialists, who are in the best position to manage their patients’ overall health.
Many factors go into planning visits each day. Things like how many people need our help, where they live, how urgent their needs are and the healthcare professionals we have available all play a part. We also work with value-based care networks (i.e. insurers, hospitals, health systems, physician groups, etc.) to take care of their high-need patients who come first when scheduling.
Aftercare Support
If you believe you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911 immediately. If you develop new or worsening symptoms after your visit with DispatchHealth and can’t wait to be seen due to the severity of your condition, please contact your primary care provider or go to the nearest 24-hour facility. For less urgent questions, we also encourage you to follow up with your primary healthcare provider.
Yes. Whenever you need ER-Alternative Care, you can always schedule an appointment with us. However, DispatchHealth doesn’t replace your primary care provider, who should continue to manage your overall health.
Yes. If we have a primary care provider on file for you, we will proactively reach out to them to communicate the details of the care you received at home, typically within 24 hours.
To access a copy of your full DispatchHealth medical record, we recommend you work with our partner, ChartRequest. Chart Request is a self-service portal and app that allows patients to set up an account and securely access records for themselves, or on behalf of a dependent. Please keep in mind that medical records requests may take 7-10 days to process.
Log in or set up an account in our patient portal, managed by athenahealth, here.
Please contact us with feedback or suggestions regarding your experience with DispatchHealth.
Please visit our Aftercare Support Page for more detailed guidance including how to access follow-up care, test results and medical records.
Cost and Insurance
The co-pay for a same-day medical care visit ranges from $0-$45. Your insurance company determines your exact bill, since costs can vary depending on your coverage and whether or not you’ve met your annual deductible. If you’re unsure about your coverage details, it’s always a good idea to check with your health plan.
DispatchHealth accepts most major insurance plans in the areas we serve. If you need an appointment today, schedule here and we’ll check your insurance for you. For our non-urgent healthcare services, eligibility depends on a referral from your health insurance provider.
If we’re covered by your insurance, you’ll pay nothing up front. After your visit, we’ll work directly with your insurance company and bill you by mail and through our patient portal.
We are not able to treat patients without coverage in our network at this time.
We work directly with your insurance to determine your bill. This process typically takes 30-45 days. Once your balance is determined, we send your bill by mail and make it available in an online patient portal managed by athenahealth. Log in or set up your athenahealth portal account.
DispatchHealth was founded in 2013 by Mark Prather, MD, and Kevin Riddleberger, PA-C, MBA. The company was created with a mission to extend the power of the healthcare system to the comfort and safety of home.
DispatchHealth is headquartered in Denver, CO and operates in communities nationwide.
No. In addition to ER-Alternative Care, we offer lines of service for many stage of a patient’s health journey. For patients who are recommended by their doctor or insurance provider, we provide Transitional Care at Home for recovery after an ER visit or hospital or skilled nursing facility stay. We also provide Hospital-Alternative Care, by referral only, that helps people continue a hospital stay at home or avoid being admitted altogether. Learn more about our services.
