Allina Health To Begin Charging Patients $49 For Medical Messages

If your doctor is part of the Allina Health system, sending them an online message could soon cost you.

The Minneapolis-based healthcare provider has announced it will begin charging $49 for some medical messages — such as those you send through MyChart — this month.

In an email to patients, Allina said this will apply to messages that involve medication changes, new care needs, request for labs or imaging, or "chronic disease check-ins," but the charges aren't necessarily limited to those.

However, messaging your doc or your care team will continue to be free if it's about a "recent visit" or any of the following:

• appointment scheduling
• imaging and test results about a recent visit
• medication refills when refills are still available
• updates for your care team that don’t need an answer
• questions with quick and simple answers

If you have insurance, you might not notice the $49 charge. Allina says "many insurance companies" will cover the cost of medical messages, but adds you should check with your carrier if you're concerned.

With the announcement, Allina joins other Minnesota healthcare providers charging patients for such messages. Mayo Clinic started the practice earlier this year, and per FOX 9, Bloomington-based Health Partners charges for medical messages as well.

And it's part of a national trend, too — a report earlier this year found that at least 22 healthcare systems across the country have begun billing for online communications.

NPR News noted in July that one cause for this is the surge in telehealth that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SOURCE: Bring Me The News