Medical Policy

CS connect (the “Platform”) is a virtual care platform with the goal is to make high-quality comprehensive care accessible while practicing responsible medicine. There are some scenarios where we believe the best course of action is to refer a patient to in-person care rather than treat them remotely. Patient health and safety is always our priority.

The following are the most common scenarios where we will NOT treat patients remotely, and will instead refer out to in-person care:

  • We don’t treat through the Platform patients seeking ongoing care and prescriptions for some serious chronic conditions, particularly ones that require in-person physical examination or specialty consultation for safe management. In some cases, we may help diagnose and prescribe refills for these conditions, when medically appropriate, but we will refer a patient to in-person care when necessary.
    • These conditions include but are not limited to: conditions requiring controlled substances, Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes, conditions requiring immunosuppressive therapy, patients being actively treated for cancer (including chemotherapy or radiotherapy), patients that have significant immunosuppression (including HIV), oxygen-dependent patients, patients with history of organ transplant or organ failure (including heart failure, kidney failure and liver failure), patients currently hospitalized or in hospice care, conditions requiring certain injectable medications for treatment, and other serious medical conditions requiring specialty care or close monitoring with an in-person provider
  • We can treat and manage many common chronic conditions in adults through our CS Connect Comprehensive Care Program, such as asthma, eczema, hypertension, high cholesterol, type II diabetes, hypothyroidism, gout, migraines and more
  • We do not treat through the Platform anyone who is or may be pregnant.
  • We do not treat through the Platform patients who have sustained animal bites or scratches (including venomous spiders, scorpions and snakes) or patients seeking treatment for an animal related injury.
  • We do not treat through the Platform adults with certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
    • We can both test and treat chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis for adults.
    • We do not treat through the Platform HIV
  • We do not treat through the Platform patients with more severe behavioral health conditions including, but not limited to, severe depression, suicidal ideation, bipolar disorder/mania, substance abuse, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and/or ADD/ADHD.

Patient health and safety is always our priority and therefore we have limitations in conditions that we treat through the Platform:

  • While we do offer treatment for the following conditions, the clinicians may want testing prior to initiating any treatment. Additionally, we are limited in the number of times a patient can be treated prior to needing referral to in-person care. This includes, but is not limited to:
    • UTI
    • Bacterial Vaginosis and Vaginal Yeast infections
    • Dental Infections
    • Male Urinary symptoms
    • STI

What we do and do not prescribe

Our clinicians can prescribe through the platform most medications to treat acute and chronic conditions as well as to manage some mental health conditions. There are several types of medications we will not prescribe through the Platform—those that are considered high risk or those that require ongoing physical evaluation.

  • We do not prescribe over the Platform controlled substances including:
    • Certain weight loss medications such as phentermine
    • Stimulants for shift work disorder, such as Provigil / Modafinil
    • Anti-anxiety or sedative medications, such as Xanax (Alprazolam), Ambien (Zolpidem), Lunesta (Eszopiclone), and Ativan (Lorazepam)
    • Certain prescription pain relievers and muscle relaxers such as carisoprodol (brand names include Soma and Vanadom), Butalbital, tramadol (brand names include Ultram and Ultracet), gabapentin (brand names include Neurontin and Gralise), or any narcotic medication, such as codeine or hydrocodone
    • High-risk medications that require a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) license, or are subject to abuse
    • If you are unsure if a substance is controlled, please see these resources to look up individual drugs: Prescriber’s Digital Reference, U.S. Dept. of Justice DEA Diversion Control Division
  • We do not prescribe over the Platform ADHD medication and will not prescribe anxiety and depression medication to patients who are also on stimulant medication
  • We do no prescribe over the Platform methotrexate or other immunosuppressive medications.