Compare places to begin a care conversation

Bring the same goal to each route

Think about what would make the visit useful even if no medicine is offered.

• Your usual clinician: ask for a review of the offer alongside your health history.
• An in-person clinic: ask what will be examined and who will make the decision.
• A telehealth service: ask how the clinician can question you and arrange care in a room if needed.
• Time to think: ask for the proposed plan in writing before choosing a route.

A fair comparison uses the same criteria

The national medical-board group advises that care over a screen needs to match the quality of a visit in a room.

Its model policy offers state boards a suggested approach; it has no force as law on its own.

The enforceable rules come from the state.

• Assessment: what information will the clinician need?
• Evidence: which finding supports the proposed benefit?
• Follow-up: who answers when a question comes up later?
• Payment: what happens if the assessment ends without a prescription?

A menu cannot do the assessment

A May 2026 report from the medical boards’ federation rejects prescribing driven only by a menu choice.

That federation brings state medical boards together; its guidance does not replace each state’s rules.

• Ask what might lead the clinician to suggest a different approach.
• Ask how a decision against treatment would be explained.