Before you schedule an online good faith exam, confirm three things: the provider’s license and prescriptive authority, a HIPAA-compliant platform with live video, and the documentation you’ll receive afterward. These three checks are what separate a good faith exam that holds up under a state inspection from one that doesn’t. Most practices book first and ask these questions after, which is not the right order.
Key Takeaways
- Confirm the exam will be performed by a licensed provider with prescriptive authority before you book. (Jump to Section)
- The scheduling platform itself needs to be HIPAA-compliant and support live video, not a static intake form. (Jump to Section)
- Ask what documentation you will receive after the exam before you book it, not after. (Jump to Section)
Confirm the Provider First
Not every provider who offers a virtual good faith exam can legally clear your staff to treat. Delegation rules decide which license types, physicians, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants, can perform the exam in your state. Ask the provider directly for their license state and prescriptive authority before you book.
- License state: Confirm the provider holds an active license in your practice’s state, not just any state.
- Prescriptive authority: Verify the license covers authority to sign treatment orders for the procedures your practice performs.
- Delegation model: Ask how the provider’s supervision requirements apply to each role on your staff, since a physician assistant and a nurse practitioner may fall under different rules.
- Platform screening: Check whether the scheduling platform asks for your state before assigning a provider, since one that skips this step is assigning providers blind.
Delegation and supervision standards differ by state. California, Texas, Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Arizona each set their own rules for who can perform the exam and what the resulting order must include. The American Med Spa Association publishes ongoing guidance on delegation and physician oversight standards for aesthetic practices, and checking it against your provider’s claims takes minutes.
Confirm the Platform
A good faith exam depends on a live clinical encounter. Some platforms market same-day scheduling but route patients through a questionnaire with no video component and minimal provider interaction. That setup does not meet the clinical standard a good faith exam requires in most states.
- Live video: The platform must support real-time video between the provider and the patient, not a chat-based or asynchronous intake.
- HIPAA compliance: The platform must be HIPAA-compliant end-to-end, covering the video call, the intake form, and the stored record.
- Retrievable records: The platform must store the completed exam in a format your practice can pull up during an audit or inspection.
A platform that cannot confirm all three during a sales call is not built for compliance, but simply for speed. Speed without a retrievable, HIPAA-compliant video record is the exact gap a state board looks for when it reviews a good faith exam program.
Confirm the Documentation You’ll Receive
The good faith exam itself is only half the requirement. What the provider documents afterward is what actually protects your practice if a state board or malpractice carrier asks for proof. You must confirm these details before you book, and not after the appointment ends.
- SOAP note: Ask for a copy of the completed SOAP note documenting the exam findings.
- Treatment order: Ask for the signed treatment order authorizing each specific procedure your staff will perform.
- Turnaround time: Confirm how quickly you’ll receive both documents after the appointment.
- Renewal tracking: Ask whether the renewal schedule is set automatically or left to your staff to monitor.
A virtual physician evaluation that lapses past its renewal window puts every treatment performed after that date at risk, regardless of how compliant the original good faith exam was. Automatic renewal tracking closes that gap before it becomes a finding on an inspection report.
How to Schedule With Medical Director Co.
Submit a request through Medical Director Co., and we match your practice with a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant within 24 hours, vetted against your state’s delegation and telehealth rules. That provider then builds your good faith exam workflow, drafts delegate-specific treatment orders for each role on your staff, and sets a renewal schedule so exams don’t lapse past the point a board would flag. Your practice ends up with a documented, state-specific system ready to hand over the moment an inspection happens. Plans start at a $799 dollars a month with no setup fees.
Stop Chasing Providers. Get Matched in 24 Hours.
A vetted, state-matched physician, NP, or PA placed in your good faith exam program. No setup fees, no scramble before an inspection.
FAQ
What should you confirm before booking an online good faith exam?
Confirm the provider’s license type and state, whether the platform supports live video and HIPAA compliance, and what documentation you’ll receive afterward, including the SOAP note and treatment order. Booking without these three answers is the most common reason practices end up with an exam that doesn’t hold up under review. A rejected good faith exam forces you to redo the process and delays every treatment tied to it.
Can you schedule an exam for same-day treatment?
Same-day treatment works only if the good faith exam happens and gets fully documented before the treatment order is issued. The sequence matters more than the speed of booking. A same-day exam that skips proper documentation creates the same compliance risk as skipping the exam entirely.
Do you need to prepare anything before the appointment?
Have your medical history and current medications ready so the provider can complete a thorough review during the call. Practices that gather this information beforehand finish the exam faster and end up with a more complete clinical record. Missing details during the call often means a follow-up is needed before the treatment order can be finalized.
What if the scheduled provider isn’t licensed in your state?
An unlicensed provider means the good faith exam won’t meet the legal standard your practice needs, regardless of how the appointment went. Confirm state licensure before booking, not after the exam is already on the calendar. A platform that can’t verify this upfront is a reason to choose a different one.
How quickly can an online good faith exam be scheduled?
Turnaround varies by provider network, and some platforms take days to match a licensed provider to your state. Medical Director Co. matches a vetted physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant within 24 hours and starts building your state-specific treatment order immediately. That speed is what keeps a practice’s exam schedule from lapsing in the first place.
Locking In a Good Faith Exam That Holds Up
A board or malpractice carrier only needs one gap, in licensure, platform compliance, or documentation, to reject the good faith exam. Thus, verify all three before you book, not after the good faith exam is already scheduled. That order is what makes the good faith exam count the first time a record gets pulled.
Don't Let an Inspection Catch You Unprepared.
Get matched with a vetted, state-licensed provider and a documented exam system built to hold up the moment a board asks for proof.
Bolton M. Harris, J.D., is a seasoned attorney with a formidable background in criminal law and a focus on healthcare law and compliance. As the in-house legal counsel at Medical Director Co., Harris brings a unique blend of prosecutorial experience and regulatory expertise to support healthcare professionals across Texas. Her career spans roles as a prosecutor in multiple counties and now as a trusted advisor on the legal intricacies of medical practice operations.
Education & Early Career
Bolton Harris completed her undergraduate studies at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in 2013. During her time at SMU, she was not only a dedicated student but also a competitive athlete on the university’s women’s swimming team. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor from Texas A&M University School of Law in 2016 and became a member of the Texas Bar that same year. Armed with a strong academic foundation and discipline honed as a student-athlete, Harris embarked on a career in criminal law immediately after law school.
Prosecutorial Experience in Texas
Bolton Harris began her legal career in public service as a criminal prosecutor. She served as an Assistant District Attorney in multiple jurisdictions, where she quickly rose through the ranks and handled a broad spectrum of cases. Some highlights of her prosecutorial career include:
- Assistant District Attorney, Dallas County, Texas: Prosecuted a high volume of criminal cases in one of the state’s busiest DA offices, gaining extensive trial experience in both misdemeanor and felony courts.
- Assistant District Attorney, Ellis County, Texas: Continued to hone her courtroom advocacy skills, known for meticulous case preparation and a tenacious pursuit of justice on behalf of the community.
- Assistant District Attorney, Navarro County, Texas: Broadened her legal expertise by handling diverse criminal matters in a smaller county, working closely with law enforcement and community leaders to uphold the law.
Through these roles, Harris built a reputation for being a tough but fair advocate. She brought numerous cases to trial and developed an in-depth understanding of the criminal justice system. This distinguished prosecutorial background laid a strong foundation for the next phase of her career in the private sector.
Healthcare Law & Compliance at Medical Director Co.
After her tenure as a prosecutor, Harris shifted her focus to healthcare law, applying her legal acumen to the medical field. She recognized that the same attention to detail and tenacity that served her in criminal law could benefit healthcare providers navigating complex regulations. Embracing this new direction, Harris became well-versed in the intricate laws governing medical practices – from licensing requirements to patient safety and privacy standards – and is passionate about helping practitioners stay compliant.
In her current role as the in-house attorney for Medical Director Co., Bolton Harris oversees all legal and compliance matters for the organization and its clients. Medical Director Co. is a nurse-owned firm that connects nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and registered nurses with qualified medical directors and collaborating physicians, offering fast placements and comprehensive compliance support for healthcare practices. Harris ensures that each of these partnerships and clinical ventures adheres to all applicable state and federal laws. She is responsible for drafting and reviewing collaborative practice agreements, advising on regulatory requirements, and providing ongoing legal counsel as clients establish and grow their clinics. Drawing on her prosecutorial eye for risk management, Harris proactively identifies potential legal issues and addresses them before they escalate, giving healthcare professionals peace of mind.
Bolton M. Harris’s multifaceted expertise – spanning high-stakes courtroom litigation to detailed healthcare compliance – makes her a formidable legal ally. Whether advocating in front of a jury or guiding a medical practice through regulatory hurdles, she remains committed to the highest standards of the legal profession. Her blend of courtroom-tested skill and healthcare law knowledge ensures that clients of Medical Director Co. receive elite-level counsel and steadfast protection in an ever-evolving legal landscape.
