Virtual Care: Frequently Asked Questions

How Archer Health's virtual care works, what it can handle, and how it fits with onsite primary care.

The Basics

What is virtual care?

Virtual care is healthcare delivered through video, phone, or secure messaging rather than in person. At Archer Health, virtual care is integrated with onsite primary care — meaning employees can access the same clinician virtually that they see in person, ensuring true continuity of care.

How is this different from regular telehealth?

Most consumer telehealth services connect patients to whichever clinician happens to be available — a different person every visit, with no relationship and no context. Archer Health virtual care connects employees to their own primary care clinician, the same one they see at the onsite clinic. The continuity is the point, and it dramatically improves both quality of care and employee satisfaction.

Do I need an onsite clinic to use virtual care?

No. Archer Health offers virtual-first care for employers without a physical clinic location, particularly those with distributed workforces or geographic constraints. Virtual care can be a standalone program or paired with periodic onsite touchpoints for biometric screenings, vaccinations, and other in-person needs.

What Virtual Care Can Handle

What kinds of issues can be addressed virtually?

Most acute care issues can be handled virtually, including upper respiratory infections, sinus issues, urinary tract infections, allergies and rashes, minor injuries, headaches, gastrointestinal issues, mental health screening and follow-up, medication management and refills, chronic condition follow-up, and many primary care concerns. Virtual care also works well for follow-up visits after an in-person appointment.

What cannot be handled virtually?

Conditions that require physical examination, hands-on procedures, injections, or advanced diagnostics still need in-person care. Common examples include initial physical exams, certain musculoskeletal injuries, ear infections requiring otoscopy, and any condition that requires direct clinical assessment. Your clinician will tell you when an in-person visit is needed.

Can I get prescriptions through virtual care?

Yes, for most medications. The clinician can prescribe directly to your preferred pharmacy or, in onsite clinic programs, to the onsite ArcherRX pharmacy for same-day pickup. Some controlled substances have additional regulatory requirements.

Can my mental health be addressed through virtual care?

Yes. Virtual care is well-suited for mental health screening, brief therapy, medication management, and connections to longer-term mental health resources. Many employees find virtual mental health visits more accessible than in-person ones.

How Virtual Care Works

How do I schedule a virtual visit?

Virtual visits can typically be scheduled through a mobile app, web portal, or by contacting the clinic directly. For acute issues, same-day or next-day appointments are usually available, and many programs offer on-demand visits within 15 to 30 minutes.

What do I need for a virtual visit?

A smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera and microphone, a stable internet connection, and a private space to talk. Most platforms work directly through a web browser or a simple app — no complicated setup required.

How long does a virtual visit take?

Most virtual visits last 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the issue. Many are shorter than equivalent in-person visits because there's no waiting room time and no travel.

Is the visit secure and private?

Yes. Virtual visits use HIPAA-compliant platforms with encrypted video and secure messaging. The same privacy standards apply as any other clinical encounter.

For Employers

How does virtual care complement onsite care?

In hybrid clinic programs, the clinician is physically onsite a portion of the week (often two or three days) and provides virtual care the rest of the time. This extends coverage to five days a week without requiring full-time onsite staffing, which dramatically improves the economics of the program for mid-sized employers.

How does virtual care help with distributed workforces?

For employers with employees spread across multiple locations or working remotely, virtual care ensures that everyone has access to the same primary care clinician regardless of where they're located. This is one of the most significant changes in employer healthcare over the last several years and has made employer-sponsored primary care viable for workforces that previously couldn't be served well.

What about employees in different states?

Clinicians are licensed in specific states. For multi-state workforces, programs are designed to ensure clinicians have appropriate licensure for the states where employees live. We handle this in the program design phase.

Does virtual care actually drive engagement?

When integrated with onsite primary care and the same trusted clinician, yes. Standalone telehealth services that connect employees to random clinicians typically have low engagement and low impact. Continuity-based virtual care, where the employee sees their own primary care clinician, drives meaningfully higher engagement and stronger clinical outcomes.

What about urgent care after-hours coverage?

Most onsite primary care programs operate during workforce-relevant hours, with referral pathways to urgent care or emergency services for after-hours needs. Some programs include extended virtual care hours; specifics depend on the program design.

Costs and Logistics

How is virtual care priced?

Virtual care is typically included as part of a broader Archer Health program, whether onsite, hybrid, or virtual-first. Pricing depends on the overall program design, hours of coverage, services included, and workforce size.

Do employees pay anything for a virtual visit?

In most Archer Health programs, employees pay little or nothing out of pocket for virtual visits — the same as for onsite clinic visits. Specific cost-sharing varies by employer plan design.

Does virtual care work for dependents?

Yes, in many programs. Dependent access is one of the highest-value features of any primary care program and is often particularly impactful for virtual care, since dependents can access the clinician without traveling to a clinic location.

Privacy and Compliance

Is virtual care HIPAA-compliant?

Yes. All Archer Health virtual care uses HIPAA-compliant platforms and follows the same privacy standards as in-person clinical encounters.

Will my employer see my virtual visit history?

No. Individual virtual visit records are confidential between the employee and the clinical team, the same as any other medical record. Employers receive only aggregate, de-identified data showing program-level trends.

Getting Started

How do we add virtual care to our benefits program?

Reach out at hello@archerhealth.com or 601-565-0075. We can design a virtual care program that fits your workforce — whether as part of a hybrid onsite clinic, a virtual-first program for distributed teams, or a stand-alone telehealth offering integrated with your existing benefits.