Frequently Asked Questions

UPMC AnywhereCare offers patients with non-emergency symptoms the opportunity to seek care via an online medical visit with a health care provider (e.g., Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, Physician). Prior to being connected to a provider, you will be asked what you would like to discuss with the provider along with questions pertaining to your medical history. You can also upload photos related to your condition. You will then be asked to share your health information with your provider. During your video visit, your provider will look, listen, and engage with you to diagnose your health concerns and recommend a course of action.

For pediatric patients, UPMC Providers and OCG Providers may, at their discretion, conduct a visit for patients under age 3.

During your visit you will be seen by a health care provider (Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, or Physician) licensed in the state you select as your location. If you select Pennsylvania as your location, you will be seen by a provider employed or contracted by UPMC or one of its affiliates (“UPMC Providers”), you will become a patient of UPMC, and you will have a UPMC medical record. If you select a state other than Pennsylvania as your location, you will be seen by a provider employed or contracted by Online Care Network II, P.C. (“OCG Providers”), you will become a patient of Online Care Network II, P.C. (“OCG”), and you will have an OCG medical record. OCG is not an affiliate of UPMC. In addition, if you are already an established patient of UPMC, you agree that a copy of your medical record will be stored in your UPMC medical record.

UPMC AnywhereCare is available for new and current patients, regardless of insurance coverage. Service is available for both adults and children, as follows:

  • Requesting care for yourself: You must be at least 18 years old and be physically located in the state you select as your current location for the duration of the visit.
  • Requesting care for a child: You must be the child’s parent or legal guardian, you must be present with the child during the video portion of the visit, and you and the child must both be located in the same state you select as your current location for the duration of the visit. UPMC Providers and Online Care Group providers may, at their discretion, conduct a visit for patients under age 3.
  • Requesting care for an adult to whom you have proxy permissions in MyUPMC: You can initiate a UPMC AnywhereCare visit for such an adult from within MyUPMC, the UPMC patient portal. However, the UPMC AnywhereCare account used for the visit is separate from your MyUPMC account and must be that of the patient, not your own UPMC AnywhereCare account, so be sure to log in using the patient’s UPMC AnywhereCare username and password. After the visit, you, as the proxy in MyUPMC, will be able to see the visit summary by logging in to your own MyUPMC account and selecting to view that patient’s records.

Patients can be physically located anywhere within the United States to access UPMC AnywhereCare.

Please note, patients who select Pennsylvania as their location will be treated by UPMC Providers and patients who select any other state as their location will be treated by OCG Providers. The patient is responsible for accurately representing their physical location at the time of every visit.

Virtual Urgent Care providers are available for video visits 24/7, 365 days per year.

The cost of UPMC AnywhereCare is $59-$67 before insurance ($59 for UPMC Providers and $67 for OCG Providers). UPMC Health Plan members may have a benefit providing them with a less expensive copay. Prescriptions, if needed, must be paid for separately by the patient.

Other than with UPMC Health Plan, UPMC Providers and OCG Providers are not currently participating providers with respect to these telemedicine services with Medicare, Medicaid, or other third-party payers. Patients receiving services through UPMC AnywhereCare who are not UPMC Health Plan members acknowledge and agree that claims for such services will not be submitted to these payers nor will they otherwise be covered by such payers. Patients are personally responsible for any charges incurred while receiving care via UPMC AnywhereCare.

  • Promotional discounts have expiration dates. If you enter an expired promotional code, you will be told it has expired, and you will not receive the discount, but you will still be able to complete your UPMC AnywhereCare visit.
  • Discounts apply only to the initial online visit, and not to any follow-up care that may be needed, nor to any prescriptions that may be required as a result of the online visit.

In order to request an online visit and speak with a provider, you will need a UPMC AnywhereCare account. If you do not already have one, you will be guided through an online registration process, which will create the account. The account creation process is simple and takes just a few moments. We recommend you set up your account now so it is ready when you need it. Once your account is created, you can access the mobile app or website using your username and password. Once your visit is completed, you will be able to access the after-visit summary through your UPMC AnywhereCare account or through your MyUPMC account.

UPMC AnywhereCare accounts use an email address as the username and require that there be only one email address per patient account. You should not use an email address that you share with another person.

If you are scheduled for a visit using UPMC AnywhereCare, click on the links below for instructions based on the type of device you plan to use for the visit.

Smartphone or Tablet Instructions

Desktop Computer or Laptop Instructions

Certain services on UPMC AnywhereCare, like Virtual Urgent Care, are designed for on-demand care so no appointment is necessary. You can use the Get Started button to select the first available provider or you can browse provider profiles and choose who you want to see by clicking the arrow next to the provider’s name. If the provider is currently with a patient, you will be placed in a waiting room and can be notified by text message once a provider is available. The text message functionality is available on the web experience only, not the mobile app.

The following conditions can be treated via UPMC AnywhereCare:

  • Bronchitis and cough
  • Cold and flu symptoms
  • Diarrhea
  • Pink eye
  • Rash
  • Seasonal allergies
  • Sinus infection
  • Tick bites
  • Urinary tract infection
  • Vaginal yeast infection
  • General medical advice

If pregnant, you must be within the first trimester of pregnancy (less than 14 weeks) to receive care from a UPMC AnywhereCare provider.

No, you do not need to identify your condition to use UPMC AnywhereCare. You will be asked to select your symptoms, and a health care provider will diagnose you. UPMC AnywhereCare visits are not for complex, emergency, or urgent situations, so you may be redirected to seek a different level of care if your health care provider thinks your symptoms warrant it.

Yes. Based on the image you upload, our providers will determine, at their sole discretion, whether the image is of sufficient quality or pertinent in helping with the treatment of your health issue. Images may not include genitalia, the perianal area, or female breasts. There is no limit on the number of photos you can upload but the maximum file size for each photo is 20 MB. Accepted file types include .pdf, .doc, .jpg, .gif, .png, .bmp, .flv, .mpeg, and .mp4. As with all information that you choose to provide during your UPMC AnywhereCare online visit, any image(s) that you upload will become a permanent part of your medical record.

UPMC AnywhereCare utilizes a PCI certified Service Provider to securely process all bank card transactions.  “PCI certified” means the Service Provider complies with the industry-wide data security standards that have been established by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council for the protection of payment card data.  UPMC AnywhereCare’s Service Provider’s certification can be validated through the Visa Global Registry and its attestation of compliance report is available here.

Once your payment information is submitted, you will be unable to cancel your online visit and your payment is non-refundable at that point. If you are directed by a UPMC AnywhereCare provider to seek care elsewhere, you may be refunded the cost of the UPMC AnywhereCare visit.

Yes, you can download our mobile app, which will allow you to select and see a provider. Video visits are supported on many smartphones and tablets. All users of UPMC AnywhereCare are reminded that they should always take precautions to protect any personal or confidential information on their mobile devices.

A video visit is a real-time meeting with a health care provider online. The experience is comparable to popular video messaging services. Listed below are the detailed system requirements:

Internet:

  • For the best experience, you should use high speed broadband. 3Mb is recommended for an optimal experience and for the best video experience, we recommend connecting via a “wired” internet connection.
  • Supported Browsers:
    • Google Chrome (latest version recommended; one version prior supported)
    • Mozilla Firefox (latest version recommended; one version prior supported)
    • Microsoft Internet Explorer (PC ONLY: minimum v9.0, maximum v11) In order to support TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2, Windows 7 or newer is required. Review the Enabling TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 in Internet Explorer article to enable TLS 1.1 or higher encryption. Windows Vista and older operating systems, such as Windows XP, are not compatible with TLS 1.1 or higher encryption.
    • Safari (Mac ONLY: latest version recommended; one version prior supported).

Hardware:

  • USB or built-in webcam
  • Microphone
  • Speakers

Software:

  • Operating Systems:
    • Windows: Versions 7, 8, and 10 are supported
    • Mac: OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard” or later (Intel CPUs only) is supported
    • Linux OS (including Chromebook devices) is not supported
  • Adobe Flash Plug-In v10.1 or greater installed (Firefox users must have the latest version of Flash installed)
  • Adobe Reader 7 or greater installed

Mobile Phone Specifications:

  • UPMC AnywhereCare App must be installed (available in the app store)
  • Front-facing camera
  • Operating System requirements (iOS): iOS v7.0 or later required; however, support for iOS 7 will be discontinued starting with the v9.2 mobile app; iOS 8 or later will be required. For devices running iOS 7, users will be required to update the device to iOS 8 or 9 before they are able to download the 9.2 mobile app
  • Supported Devices (iOS):
    • iPhone 4s or later
    • iPad 2 or later
    • iPad Mini
    • iPad Air
    • iPod Touch 5th generation
  • Operating system requirements (Android): Gingerbread v4.0.0 or above
  • Supported Devices (Android): Android phone, Android tablet
  • Not supported Devices (Android): HTC myTouch, and the PantechP9070

Make sure all devices necessary are connected properly and any software needed to use these devices is installed on your computer for the video consultation. If you are not hearing sound, check the volume levels on your computer and make sure your sound is not muted. If you are still having trouble, you can email help@myupmc.com or call the UPMC AnywhereCare Support Line at 1-833-716-8447.

UPMC AnywhereCare is for children who are physically located in the same state selected by their parent or legal guardian for the duration of the online visit. Foster parents are not eligible to obtain services through UPMC AnywhereCare for minor children for whom they are caring. UPMC Providers and Online Care Group providers may, at their discretion, conduct a visit for patients under age 3.

  • 24/7 online medical care, 365 days a year.
  • If you select Pennsylvania as your location, you will be treated by a UPMC Provider. If you select a location other than Pennsylvania, you will be treated by an OCG Provider. OCG Providers are not affiliated with UPMC.
  • UPMC Providers and Online Care Group providers may, at their discretion, conduct a visit for patients under age 3.
  • Patient and parent or legal guardian must be physically located in the same location as the child for the duration of the online visit. Children cared for by foster parents are not eligible for this service.
  • Symptoms that can be treated include bronchitis and cough, cold and flu, diarrhea, pink eye, rash, seasonal allergies, sinus infection, tick bites, urinary tract infection, vaginal yeast infection, and general medical advice is offered.

Yes, UPMC AnywhereCare is designed to be a private, secure, HIPAA-compliant tool that allows you to confidentially communicate with a health care provider online. The video visit will not be recorded. The patient is not permitted to record any audio and video portion of the visit.

Yes, all the health care providers on UPMC AnywhereCare can provide a prescription in accordance with state laws and when medically appropriate. Please note that health care providers on UPMC AnywhereCare cannot prescribe controlled substances, medications for erectile dysfunction, and any additional state-specific controlled medications.

No.

After every visit, you will be asked if you want to add your primary care doctor’s email address. You have the option to request your after-visit summary be emailed by UPMC AnywhereCare to your PCP. In order to do so the patient must supply their PCP email address to UPMC AnywhereCare. Please note that this notification is a secure encrypted email.

If you see a UPMC AnywhereCare provider in Pa. and are an existing UPMC patient, the UPMC AnywhereCare provider may mail your PCP a brief summary of the visit. If you are an existing UPMC patient and have not identified a PCP, notification will not be sent.

If you see a Virtual Care provider outside of Pa., you will need your PCP’s email address in order to send the visit summary. After your visit, you have the option to request your after-visit summary be emailed by UPMC AnywhereCare to your PCP. In order to do so the patient must enter the PCP’s email address in UPMC AnywhereCare after the visit is completed.

After your UPMC AnywhereCare visit with a UPMC provider, you may contact that UPMC Provider through a MyUPMC account. An existing MyUPMC account is required for secure messaging; if you do not have one, you will need to sign up.

After your UPMC AnywhereCare visit with an OCG provider, the OCG provider may be available to contact through the secure message center on the UPMC AnywhereCare platform.

Yes, you can verbally request a sick slip during your virtual care visit and if your provider determines a sick slip is appropriate, it will be made available to you in your AnywhereCare Message Center.

On the login screen, select “Need help logging in?”. On the next screen, select “Forgot Password.” After you submit the last name, date of birth, and email address associated with your registered account, we will email you a link to change your password. If you need assistance, please contact the UPMC AnywhereCare Support Line at 1-833-716-8447.

On the login screen, select “Need help logging in”. On the next screen, select “Forgot Email Address.” Use your last name and date of birth to find the associated registered account. Your email address will be provided through a pop-up window. If you select “Log In,” it will auto-populate the email address field on the login screen. If you need assistance, please contact the UPMC AnywhereCare Support Line at 1-833-716-8447.

For technical troubleshooting or general questions, you can email help@myupmc.com or call the UPMC AnywhereCare Support Line at 1-833-716-8447.