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Berkeley Care Checklist California care in checkboxes

Berkeley, California

Care briefing · Questions for a visit

# Make the first visit a conversation

Ask how your health will be reviewed, what information to bring, and what answers you will leave with.

## Choose a visit you can use

Telehealth provides care using video, phone calls, or exchanges online in place of meeting in a room together. During an in-person appointment, the doctor or other health professional providing care is in the room with you.

- Find out if you will meet live or have your information reviewed at a later time.

- Ask how to talk with the person treating you if a questionnaire leaves something out.

- Ask whether any part of the health review needs an in-person visit.

### Know what agreeing to an online visit means

California rules checked September 28, 2026 require your spoken or written agreement to telehealth, with that agreement recorded.

Agreeing to telehealth does not rule out in-person care later.

As of September 26, 2026, California permits an assessment by questionnaire only if it meets the required standard of care.

That means the usual level of care expected for the visit. A completed questionnaire does not by itself prove that the person treating you has enough information to decide about medicine.

- Ask: “Have you reviewed my medicines, allergies, health history, and answers before deciding?”

- Ask: “Is anything missing that needs a conversation, an examination, or a test?”

- Ask how you can ask questions in return.

- Ask whether the health review can end without a prescription.

## Bring a short health list

Write things down before the visit so you do not have to recall them on the spot.

- [ ] The problem I want help with, in my own words.

- [ ] Medicines and supplements I take, plus any allergies.

- [ ] Past treatment and test results I want to discuss.

- [ ] Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or pregnancy plans I want to mention.

## Leave with answers you can read later

Ask for the plan in writing. Keep asking until the words make sense to you.

- Why is this option being considered?

- What other options can we discuss?

- Are any tests needed, and what would they change?

- Who will answer questions after this visit?

- When will we review whether I am getting help from this plan?

## Source notes

- [California: agreement to telehealth ↗](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=2290.5) 

- [California: what a prior assessment can involve ↗](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=2242) 

[Next: The whole cost →](/cost-brief/) [Back to the start ↑](#main) 

## All care briefings

- [The main checklist](/) 

- [Peptides in plain words](/briefing/) 

- [California licence checks](/at-a-glance/) 

- [Questions for a visit](/question-brief/) 

- [The whole cost](/cost-brief/) 

- [Insurance questions](/coverage-brief/) 

- [Checking a claim](/evidence-brief/) 

- [When to pause](/risk-brief/) 

- [Follow-up and help](/safety-brief/) 

Keep your questions with this guide; this site runs no clinic, and medicine sales are not part of its work.

[Read as plain text](/question-brief/index.md) [Text index](/llms.txt)