Request an eConsult with Pediatric Specialists

As the primary care provider, you are the most trusted partner for patients and their families. By requesting an eConsult, specialists at Children’s Hospital Colorado can partner alongside you, providing prompt access to specialists to support your practice when new issues or diagnoses arise.

Please note: This service is only available for patients and families who live in Colorado.    

Benefits of an eConsult

While eConsult is not a solution for all patient visits, it is very useful in situations where an answer to a medical question without an in-person appointment is beneficial to the provider, patient and family. Benefits of eConsults include:

• Rapid turnaround time with eConsults completed within two business days
• Temporizing option for specialties with longer wait times for in-person visits
• Convenience for patients and families since there’s no need to travel or take time away from work or school
• Convenience for providers as asynchronous requests make it easy to order an eConsult 24/7
• Ability to include data for specialist review without incurring additional expense, e.g., labs, x-rays, medical records, photos, videos, etc.
• Improved care coordination between providers in medical home and specialists
• Cost-effective alternative for patient, family, PCP and payer
• Documentation in EPIC/MyChart is enduring
• Peace of mind for patient, family and provider

Current specialties that provide eConsult

Many of our specialties offer this convenience. If you’re looking for an eConsult for skin testing, please contact Department of Pediatric Dermatology. Here’s a list of the 22 specialties available for eConsult:

How to talk about eConsult to patients and families

When you’re introducing patients and families to eConsult, it’s important to highlight its benefits and address any cost concerns. Here are a few things you can say:

• “I have a medical question for a specialist about your care. One of the options is to do this virtually so that you do not have to wait for an in-person appointment. I will send the specialist the information they need and will have a response within two business days. The specialist’s report is documented in EPIC, and you will be able to see it in MyChart.”
• “An eConsult gives me the answers I need without you having to go in for an in-person visit. This will save time away from work or school.”
• “Do I have your permission to order an eConsult and bill your insurance?”
• “eConsults are covered by insurance like an in-person visit. Based on your insurance, it may be the same as an in-person deductible, but if you have a high-deductible plan, it should be no more than approximately $118. If you have billing questions, you can contact University of Colorado Medicine with questions at 303-493-7700 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.”

We’re proud to report that both families and providers have been satisfied with this service with no complaints about billing issues. For more information on family-specific questions, we have a handout you can give them.

Frequently asked questions

How do I place an eConsult order?

An eConsult order can be placed in PedsConnect or EpicCare Link.  Contact your physician relations representative if you have questions. At this time, we do not have options for Denver Health and UCHealth. We are working on a solution for Kaiser.

Is eConsult meant for ongoing communication with a specialist?

No. An eConsult should be a one-time question answered with direct questions only, not ongoing dialogue.

Do I need to be in the same state as my patient for an eConsult?

Yes. eConsult is a form of telemedicine, and both you and your patient need to be in the state of Colorado.

Do I need to obtain consent?

Yes, you must verbally obtain and document consent in that order.

What billing codes do I use?

99542 is the CPT code for a referring physician to bill for non-face-to-face communication, such as phone or internet-based interactions between a referring physician and a treating physician or other qualified healthcare professional. Remember to include total time when billing 99542.

What does eConsult cost?

The eConsult bill will come from University of Colorado Medicine. There is no associated charge or facility fee from Children’s Colorado, and if the specialist determines an in-person visit is required, there is no eConsult bill.

The cost of an eConsult varies according to a patient family’s insurance coverage:

• eConsults are covered by insurance like an in-person specialist visit. Depending on patients’ insurance plan, an eConsult will be covered at various amounts, including a deductible and copay which may be the cost of the eConsult. Based on data from the previous year, over 90% of patients have a co-pay of less than $100 with the maximum out of pocket expense for high-deductible plans estimated to be under $176. 
• Patients with Medicaid do not receive a bill, and there are no co-pays for children under 21.

Are eConsults covered by Tricare? Will they receive a bill?

For patients who have TriCare, eConsults are a covered benefit. However, families with TriCare Prime will need a referral in order for it to be covered, while TriCare Select members do not need a referral.

Contact us

Please reach out to Physician Relations with any eConsult questions at physicianrelations@childrenscolorado.org.