Remote Care
Starwood Equine Veterinary Services offers remote consultation services to provide timely, professional guidance when an on-site visit is not immediately necessary.
Remote veterinary care includes both:
• Scheduled phone or video consultations
• Medical email consultations
Both services involve clinical review, medical judgment, and documentation in your horse’s medical record — and are therefore billed as professional veterinary services.
If you are experiencing an EMERGENCY call 650-275-3091
Peninsula - ext. 0
East Bay - ext. 3
Remote veterinary care includes both:
• Scheduled phone or video consultations
• Medical email consultations
Both services involve clinical review, medical judgment, and documentation in your horse’s medical record — and are therefore billed as professional veterinary services.
If you are experiencing an EMERGENCY call 650-275-3091
Peninsula - ext. 0
East Bay - ext. 3
HOW TELEHEALTH HELPS YOU
Telehealth allows us to:
This ensures continuity of care while often avoiding a farm call fee.
- Review medical history and prior diagnostics
- Evaluate videos, photos, and updates
- Adjust treatment plans
- Prescribe or modify medications appropriately
- Document medical recommendations properly
This ensures continuity of care while often avoiding a farm call fee.
Fee structure
Medical Email Consultation
If your email requires a veterinarian to review records, assess the medical situation, make treatment recommendations, or authorize prescriptions, a medical messaging fee will apply. This fee is lower than a scheduled phone/video consult and reflects the time required for review, clinical decision-making, and documentation.
Phone or Video Consultation
If a discussion is more complex, time-sensitive, or requires back-and-forth conversation, we may recommend scheduling a dedicated telehealth appointment. These consultations are billed at a higher rate than email consults due to reserved doctor time.
What is not charged
There is no charge for:
• Appointment scheduling
• Billing questions
• Medical record requests
• Credit to Visit
If it is determined that your horse needs an in-person examination for the issue discussed, the telehealth fee will be applied toward that visit.
• Pharmacy refill requests that require no clinical review or change in plan
If a refill request requires reassessment of the condition (e.g. no examination in the last year) or adjustment of medications, it may be billed as a medical consultation.
• Appointment scheduling
• Billing questions
• Medical record requests
• Credit to Visit
If it is determined that your horse needs an in-person examination for the issue discussed, the telehealth fee will be applied toward that visit.
• Pharmacy refill requests that require no clinical review or change in plan
If a refill request requires reassessment of the condition (e.g. no examination in the last year) or adjustment of medications, it may be billed as a medical consultation.
Why we charge for remote care
Even when care occurs by phone or email, it still involves:
• Professional medical judgment
• Review of records and history
• Legal prescribing responsibility
• Documentation in the medical record
• Clinical liability
Telehealth allows us to deliver expert guidance efficiently while maintaining the same standard of care as an in-person visit.
• Professional medical judgment
• Review of records and history
• Legal prescribing responsibility
• Documentation in the medical record
• Clinical liability
Telehealth allows us to deliver expert guidance efficiently while maintaining the same standard of care as an in-person visit.