Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, we are fully licensed as a medical clinic founded by an endocrinologist and operated by clinicians who have decades of experience treating thyroid disease. The process that TVC uses to deliver care is very similar to that when a patient visits a physician office, with the main difference being that communication between the patient and physician occurs remotely, as opposed to face-to-face. This is commonly called “telemedicine” and is now a widely accepted form of care delivery in the U.S.

Thyroid disease can be treated safely and effectively without a face-to-face physical exam. In most cases, a thorough review of symptoms, medical history, and diagnostic testing, such as lab testing, is all that is needed to effectively treat the overwhelming majority of thyroid disorders. TVC’s thorough and comprehensive process provides all of these things in an efficient and effective way through our state-of-the-art platform.

In fact, most common disorders can effectively be treated via telemedicine, which is why the medical boards of almost every state in the U.S. have passed some sort of telemedicine legislation, and why telemedicine is becoming more common and more widely accepted nationwide.

TVC can treat 99% of patients with a thyroid disorder. These include patients with the most common thyroid conditions, such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), goiter, nodules, thyroiditis, Graves’ disease, Hashimoto’s, and more.

However there are some patients, such as some (not all) with a history of thyroid cancer, for whom TVC may not be the best fit. Others may include patients with pituitary or hypothalamic problems, or those with a thyroid condition caused by head trauma.

Do you have (or think you may have) goiter or thyroid nodules? As most physicians rely on a physical exam to detect such disorders, this is generally not the best way. We at TVC promote high-tech modalities, and believe that a thyroid ultrasound is the most effective way to detect goiter or nodules.

While we can’t perform this diagnostic test remotely, we will provide a referral for you to have this test done at a local physician office or imaging center. We will then interpret the results from that test for our patients.

Absolutely! TVC will provide a thorough evaluation and diagnosis for you, the same as if you went to see a second physician, but without the hassle of taking time off from work, traveling to the doctor’s office, and waiting in the waiting room.

No, TVC should be viewed as being the same as any other specialist, not a replacement for your primary care physician. In fact, any diagnostic reports that you receive while under the care of TVC (labs, ultrasounds, etc.) are always available for you to download from your patient portal if you ever want to share them with your primary care doctor. TVC does not necessarily have to replace your endocrinologist either, and can provide a second opinion by providing a thorough evaluation and diagnosis for you, or by reviewing the reports of your periodic thyroid lab tests or ultrasounds and providing an opinion on your current endocrinologist’s recommendations.

TVC will treat patients age 14* through 99 (*minors require parental consent).

Yes, absolutely! Since pregnancy adds an extra layer of complexity to a thyroid patient’s case, we require patients who are pregnant to initially communicate with our clinicians via video-conferencing or audio-only conferencing. After that initial evaluation, however, pregnant patients can from there on be treated by our clinic via our HIPAA-compliant secure messaging platform.

Most, if not all, telemedicine platforms treat the most common medical conditions such as cough, allergies, flu, ear infections, etc. but TVC focuses exclusively on thyroid disease. In fact, TVC is the only virtual clinic in the world that focuses on thyroid disease. Also, we’re not just a “one-off” service that patients turn to when they don’t feel well. TVC is a chronic illness management platform that helps patients who have thyroid disorders, which are often life-long conditions, manage their condition over long periods of time.

TVC offers several advantages over your traditional primary care physician practice, by offering safe, effective, specialized treatment in the most convenient and cost-effective way possible. In particular, many primary care physicians attempt to treat thyroid disorders but don’t do an effective job as they lack the specialized training that TVC clinicians have. TVC clinicians are true thyroid experts who have extensive experience diagnosing and treating thyroid disorders of all types.

TVC also differentiates itself from the brick-and-mortar endocrinology practice in a very basic and simple way – we offer the convenience of managing your thyroid condition from the comfort of your own home or workplace at a schedule that’s convenient for you, not your doctor. Why take a day off from work and incur the expense (both time and money) to travel to a doctor’s office only to sit in their waiting room? TVC works around your schedule and provides a more cost-effective way for you to manage your condition by helping you avoid the costs of travelling to visit the doctor.

Also, many endocrinology practices are focused on diseases and disorders other than thyroid disease – such as diabetes, adrenal disorders, or pituitary issues. TVC focuses only on thyroid disease, and we pride ourselves on staying up to date on the latest trends in thyroid management.

Not at all. TVC is a full service, fully licensed clinic, owned and operated by endocrinologists. All of our clinicians are thyroid experts. We’re totally different from the many thyroid websites that simply offer “advice” on things such as diet, which have been clinically proven to be largely ineffective against thyroid disease. We offer specialized thyroid care, as opposed to the many self-proclaimed “thyroid experts” who have no formal training in endocrinology, and who often charge much higher prices than TVC offers. We also stick with our patients through the long term, offering a comprehensive, long term management plan, as opposed to those who just want to charge patients for a “one-off” visit.

We provide a full, thorough clinical screening, review of medical history, and we develop an individual clinical care plan for each patient. We also order all necessary testing, including labs, thyroid ultrasound or biopsy, and provide referrals to reputable thyroid surgeons for those that may require surgery. We also issue prescriptions for medication and offer preferred pricing to our patients through our strategic partnerships.

TVC clinicians will write prescriptions for any necessary medications, which can either be sent to your local pharmacy, or filled via mail order.

As a provider of “all things thyroid”, TVC offers it all! We offer a full menu of lab testing including TSH, total and free T4 and T3, thyroid antibodies to evaluate for autoimmune disease (Hashimoto’s, Graves’) as well as other special thyroid tests as needed. We can order the necessary lab testing through your local lab or allow you to get your labs done in the comfort of your own home by shipping one of our dry blood test kits. We will also order thyroid ultrasounds or biopsies, if needed.

The TVC patient portal can be accessed 24/7/365 via any computer, smartphone, or tablet via a web browser (our platform is optimized for Chrome or Safari web browsers, and while the patient portal is accessible via mobile or tablet devices, the user experience is optimized for desktops or laptops). All our patients require to access our care is an internet connection. Our platform is safe and secure and protects your confidentiality at all times.

TVC offers several options for patients to communicate with us, including secure messaging, live chat, audio phone call, or video conference. Since every state has differing telemedicine laws, our method of communicating with you may be mandated by the specific laws in your state.

• Secure messaging – this is done through the TVC patient portal and is “asynchronous” which means that you can write and respond to messages at your own convenience. Think of it as a secure email system.
• Live chat – you can correspond with TVC clinicians and support staff in real time using our live online chat feature, available Monday through Friday 9am-5pm ET.
• Virtual Visit – speak with one of our clinicians live in real time by scheduling a virtual visit, which can be a live video-conference or an audio-only phone call.

nd yes, TVC clinicians and support staff are all human beings, not robots. We operate in a very similar way to a brick-and-mortar clinic, with licensed clinicians diagnosing and treating patients, but from a remote location.

TVC currently offers services to patients located in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida. We have plans to expand to other states soon, so please check back with us for updates, or sign up for our mailing list for future announcements regarding coverage area.

TVC does not accept insurance, however we’ve priced our services at levels that are actually the same or lower than your typical out-of-pocket expense including copays, deductibles, and coinsurance. For example, a one-time evaluation for those who think they may have a thyroid disorder can be performed for a low price of $19.99, while those who have a confirmed chronic thyroid disorder can manage their condition for as low as $5.99/month. Want to speak with a clinician? We offer video consults for as low as $37.50. And for those with a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA), we accept payment via HSA or FSA cards.