Free Telehealth for COVID-19 Treatment
Telehealth is a free and easy way to see if COVID-19 oral antivirals such as Paxlovid* are right for you. Oral antivirals, which are COVID-19 treatment pills taken by mouth, are available by prescription only. They must be taken within the first five days of experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and testing positive for COVID-19.
This service is currently provided by the Washington State Department of Health in collaboration with partners Color Health and Birds Eye Medical.
*Paxlovid is for those who are 12 and older that have certain medical conditions that put you at higher risk for being hospitalized from COVID-19 (including being a current or former smoker, cancer, diabetes, obesity, or others) or are over age 65. The two groups who may qualify for treatment but would not be able to take Paxlovid are:
- Severe kidney disease (eGFR less than 30). Review your most recent blood work for these test results.
- People who take certain medications for which there are no alternatives and the combination of medications with Paxlovid is life threatening.
How to set up a telehealth appointment
If you think you might be eligible for oral antiviral treatment, you have two options to set up a free telehealth consultation appointment:
- Option one*: Calling the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) hotline
- Option two: Completing a brief intake form
*Please use option one if you are:
- Between the ages of 12-17
- Pregnant or nursing
- Are not eligible for Paxlovid (see the Telehealth Overview section below)
- In need of other COVID-19 services such as food or housing assistance
- Without a smartphone or computer with internet access
Option one
You can call 1-800-525-0127, then press # to schedule your video consultation via the DOH hotline. You can also learn more about other COVID-19 services and programs that might be available to support you.
The hotline is available to support scheduling telehealth consultations from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific standard time (PST) on Monday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST from Tuesday through Sunday and observed state holidays. Language assistance is available.
Note: Any calls after 7 p.m. may result in a next-day appointment being scheduled.
Option two
Click the "begin consultation" link below to set up your video consultation appointment online and you will be redirected to complete a form operated by DOH’s partner, Color Health. The form should take about 5 minutes to complete.
If the information you provide indicates you may be eligible for treatment, you will be given a link for a video consultation with a health care provider. After joining the video call, a health care provider will join you within 5-30 minutes to complete the evaluation.
After receiving a telehealth consultation, if treatment is appropriate for you, you will receive a prescription for either free home delivery or pharmacy pickup.
Telehealth providers are available every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. PST. Language assistance is also available.
If you would like to set up your video consultation online, please click on the link below.
Telehealth Overview
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People with the following are not eligible for Paxlovid:
-
- No COVID-19 symptoms
- No risk factors or certain medical conditions that put you at higher risk of being hospitalized from COVID-19
- Have had COVID-19 symptoms for more than 5 days
- Severe liver disease: Child-Pugh Class C
- Taking any of these medications:
- Anticonvulsants
- Carbamazepine
- Phenobarbital
- Phenytoin
- Primidone
- Anti-infective agents
- Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir
- Rifampin
- Rifapentine
- Immunosuppressants
- Voclosporin
- Cardiovascular agents
- Amiodarone
- Clopidogrel
- Disopyramide
- Dofetilide
- Dronedarone
- Eplerenone
- Flecainide
- Ivabradine
- Propafenone
- Quinidine
- Neuropsychiatric agents
- Clozapine
- Lumateperone
- Lurasidone
- Midazolam (oral)
- Pimozide
- Pain medications
- Meperidine (pethidine)
- Pulmonary hypertension medications
- Sildenafil
- Tadalafil
- Vardenafil
- Miscellaneous medications
- Bosentan
- Certain chemotherapeutic agents
- Ergot derivatives
- Lumacaftor/ivacaftor
- St. John’s wort
- Tolvaptan
- Anticonvulsants
What do I need for a telehealth visit?
- A smartphone or computer that has video. No special software is required.
- A list of medications and vitamins you are taking.
- If you have kidney disease, a copy of your lab results within the past 12 months.
Do I need special software for the telehealth appointment/consultation?
You can use any smartphone or computer that has video. No special software is required. If you are using a smartphone, please ensure that you have adequate signal and battery life for a call up to 30 minutes.
Who can use this telehealth service?
Telehealth is available for individuals 12 or older who test positive for COVID-19, experiencing mild to moderate symptoms, and currently living in Washington state. If you are experiencing a medical emergency like trouble breathing, please call 9-1-1.
How quickly can I talk to a health care provider?
Option one
When choosing option one to arrange your consultation through the DOH hotline, a hotline operator will assist you to arrange an appointment between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST. You will then be prompted to select an appointment with a health care provider that is most suitable to your schedule based on the times available.
Please use Option One if you are:
- Between the ages of 12-17
- Pregnant or nursing
- Are not eligible for Paxlovid
- In need of other COVID-19 services such as food or housing assistance
- Without a smartphone or computer with internet access
Option two
When choosing option two to arrange your consultation online, if the information you provide indicates that you are eligible for treatment, you will be given a link for a video consultation with a health care provider. After joining the video call, a health care provider will join you within 5-30 minutes to complete the evaluation.
You should be available for the call within the next 30 minutes of completing the intake form. Telehealth consultations are available every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. PST.
Is this service free?
Yes, the telehealth service and optional overnight delivery of oral antiviral prescriptions is free, even if you are underinsured or not insured.
If the health care provider prescribes oral antivirals during the telehealth consultation, how can I receive it?
You may choose free home delivery or pharmacy pickup from your preferred pharmacy (dependent on supply). If you choose home delivery, prescriptions received before 3 p.m. PST Monday through Friday will be sent via next-day air delivery service. If you are requesting a consultation on Saturday or Sunday, you may want to consider pharmacy pickup instead. Your treatment will work better the sooner you start it.
If I've chosen home delivery, how will I know when my medication has shipped?
You will receive an email when your prescription ships. It will also include tracking information.
You'll be able to discuss pharmacy options with your health care provider during your telehealth consultation and may change your choice based on their guidance.
Other Frequently Asked Questions:
Is insurance required?
Insurance is not required. You will not be asked to share your insurance information. This telehealth service is free.
What if I miss my telehealth consultation/appointment?
Option one
If you miss your appointment, please request another by calling the DOH COVID-19 hotline (1-800-525-0127, then press #).
Option two
A health care provider will wait up to 10 minutes for you to join the video call. If the health care provider cannot complete a video call with you, they will not be able to complete your evaluation. If you miss your appointment, please request another by clicking the link below.
What other languages are supported?
The telehealth online form (option two) is available in the following languages:
- Spanish
- Haitian Creole
- Portuguese
- Mandarin Chinese (simplified)
- Tagalog
- Russian
- Somali
- French
- Korean
- Vietnamese
- Amharic
- Marshallese
Telehealth appointments are currently available in 240 languages through translation services. People interested in receiving a telehealth appointment in a language other than English should arrange an appointment through the DOH COVID-19 hotline (1-800-525-0127, then press #).
Do I need to share my self-test results during my telehealth consultation/appointment?
If you used an over-the-counter self-test and tested positive for COVID-19, you can use these test results for your consultation and will need to confirm the results with the health care provider.
