FAQ | TeleMed

FAQs

Medical Answering Service FAQs

Read helpful answers to some of our more FAQs and learn why TeleMed will work for your medical practice or facility.

Is TeleMed local to my region?

TeleMed was originally founded in 1986 in Atlanta, GA and we maintain a medical answering center there still today. However, we provide nationwide call answering and have operator answering centers in Johnson City, Tennessee and Wise, Virginia. These three interconnected centers provide backup for one another that enables us to ensure quality telecommunications and medical answering solutions for doctors and medical centers across the country no matter what unforeseen disaster may occur. We are now a national company servicing doctors in every region of the United States and the three operator centers are the foundation that allows us to handle the incredible diversity of our customer base.

What is a medical answering service?

A medical answering service is a professional service that handles incoming calls for medical practices, clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. We manage calls 24/7, ensuring that patients receive assistance and medical attention whenever they need it.

How does your service benefit medical practices?

Our service benefits medical practices by improving efficiency, reducing administrative burdens, enhancing patient satisfaction, and ensuring that no call goes unanswered. By outsourcing call management to us, medical professionals can focus on providing quality patient care without interruptions.

Is your service HIPAA compliant?

Yes, we take patient privacy and confidentiality very seriously. Our service is entirely HIPAA compliant, and we adhere to strict security protocols to protect sensitive patient information. You can trust that your patients’ information is safe and secure with us.

How big is your call center?

With the three medical answering service call centers, TeleMed generally has 100+ operators answering the phones at all times, meaning that we will be able to answer your calls promptly and professionally. All of our operators are well-trained in the use of our system and will allow it to guide the information, based upon your instructions, to the proper location. You will not have to worry about any calls slipping through the cracks again.

How quickly can you manage our changes/issues/concerns?

TeleMed’s customer service department can easily be contacted 24/7/365 via phone at 800-529-8010 or e-mail at customersupport@telemedinc.com. You simply have to put your request in with the customer service team and any changes will be enacted immediately. If it is a major staffing change or an issue you want to keep somewhat private, your account representative/salesperson will be available at any time throughout the day to assist you with any questions/concerns you may have.

Can you answer for us during the day as well?

Yes, TeleMed has medical customers for whom we only answer during business hours. If you’re an after-hours customer we can still answer for you during the day whether it’s during your lunch hour, for overflow calls, during a meeting, or all day long. Just like after-hours medical answering service, our operators will simply follow the instructions that you personally have established for your account to guide the office message to the appropriate location.

Does TeleMed pick up on the first ring?

With over 100+ operators on-site at all times, your call will be answered on the first ring the majority of the day. There are occasional circumstances in which the call volume that TeleMed is receiving spikes up and the operators will not be able to answer every call on the first ring. However, our color-coded system allows us to see exactly what type of call is coming in and for how long the call has been holding. If a call reaches a certain number of rings a box will change to black on our operator’s screen indicating that the call needs to be answered immediately.

Are TeleMed’s operators bilingual?

TeleMed’s newly renovated Atlanta call center contains a hub of bilingual call operators (English and Spanish speaking) who are dedicated to answering calls that come in on our Spanish lines first. When you set up the voice recording that callers will hear when they reach your line with TeleMed you will just put in a prompt that says something like, “Para español, oprima numero 2”, and when they hit the two-button the system will direct them to a line in our system that is dedicated specifically to Spanish speaking callers.

How does billing work?

TeleMed bills on a 28-day cycle. You can either set it up so that the amount of money that represents your bill for a particular pay cycle is deducted automatically from your account (credit/debit card) or you can mail in a check every month for the amount due. You will be getting notifications online of your bill as well as a paper copy from TeleMed every billing cycle. If you register for one of our services in the middle of the cycle and only use a percentage of the units/minutes included in your answering plan during that first billing cycle, TeleMed will only make you pay for the percentage of units/minutes you use and not the full bill per cycle.

Do I need to sign a contract?

TeleMed does require a contract for our services. However, we are lenient with those businesses who are tentative in the beginning, oftentimes allowing for month-by-month plans for the first couple of months to make sure that the customer is happy with and understands the service. Typically though, TeleMed requires either a 1 or 2 year contract for both new and existing customers. The contract is very easy to understand and is simply there as a means of documenting, for us and you as the customer, the exact specifications of what is required on each of our parts. The contract will guarantee that both parties know exactly what the other wants.

How long does it take to get set up?

Once your designated Sales Member has received the signed paperwork and payment authorization form from you, it will typically take up to 10 days for overnight services and up to 30 days for appointment setting. Upon setup you will go “live” and we will begin to handle your medical communications management for you.

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