How Rheumission Can Help You
Who is Rheumission?
Rheumission is a virtual rheumatology practice where integrative rheumatology and lifestyle medicine come together in an empathetic, highly trained care team made up of a triple board certified lead rheumatologist, double board-certified lifestyle medicine doctor, autoimmune registered dietitian, autoimmune psychologist/therapist, and care coordinator -- plus an app to keep all your records and tracking in one place.
This highly trained team will co-design a plan with you, listening to your life + health story, diagnosing and treating your condition, and helping you reach our shared goal of remission – so you can get back to being you.
Why choose Rheumission?
Based on a belief that the body’s own natural healing is the most powerful, our autoimmune patient-doctors spent years testing and improving a methodology to help people with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis find a balance between medication and lifestyle changes – including food as medicine, movement, stress management and sleep – and still reach remission.
After watching patients (including themselves) get poor results from the conventional medicine focus on medication as the sole treatment plan – and seeing the unwanted, negative side effects, longer-terms health risks, and high costs – the vision to bring the Rheumission methodology to as many people as possible, and improve as many lives as possible, was born. We are an insurance-based clinic in-network for California members of Aetna PPO/EPO, Anthem Blue Cross PPO/EPO, Blue Shield of California PPO/EPO, and Cigna PPO/EPO. We're also in-network for Pennsylvania members of Captial Blue Cross and Highmark. Unfortunately, we do not accept Medicare or Medicaid plans at this time. If you have a plan other than the type listed above, we also have a self-pay option. We want you to feel hope, love, joy, calm, support, and community from our practice and methods.
Have you wondered why you have painful joints and muscles but were told your labs are normal?
Consider seeing an integrative rheumatologist. Don't wait for another flare to get help. Rheumission can help you get to a diagnosis and determine if you have or are at risk for autoimmune disease.
Have your doctors told you that there's nothing else you can do for your autoimmune disease?
We combine rheumatology with a lifestyle medicine behavioral change model that focuses on physical health, mental health, and medication management. This whole-person approach bridges the gaps in the healthcare experience, shaping better health outcomes with medications as needed.
How Your Rheumission Care Team Works
How often can I meet with the care team?
You can meet with your care team as much as you need in order to achieve your health goals. Most patients talk with their care team weekly or monthly via appointments and messaging, and receive responses within 1-2 days during weekdays. You can also schedule video visits with your care team as needed.
Can I still see my regular primary care doctor and/or current rheumatologist? If so, how does Rheumission work with them?
Yes, we can work with your existing doctors to help you achieve your health goals. If wanted, we will send a letter to your rheumatologist and primary care provider to introduce Rheumission and how we will partner with them to round out your care. We will share information with them about any medication changes and on your progress, so they are informed about your care. Our goal is to help you achieve your health goals, and working with your existing doctors and care teams will help you be successful.
If you are a current patient and want us to connect with your care team, please send us the contact information for your primary care provider via a message in the Rheumission app, and we can reach out to discuss your care.
Can you be my main rheumatologist?
Yes. We are a rheumatology care clinic, but without a physical office location. We can work with existing providers you currently work with, or we can handle your rheumatology needs while referring you to in person care or specialists, as needed.
What does a lifestyle medicine provider do? Or, what is lifestyle medicine?
A lifestyle medicine provider performs detailed assessments on nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress, and substance dependence, while managing and minimizing medications. Lifestyle medicine can help to prevent condition progression and/or can help to decrease your risk for new autoimmune diseases.
For more information about lifestyle medicine as a field of medicine, please visit the American College of Lifestyle Medicine website.
Does a lifestyle medicine provider treat other conditions besides RA, AS and PsA?
Yes, we can help treat most chronic conditions you would expect from primary care, specifically high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and/or weight challenges. However, we do not take care of urgent care issues such as common colds or the stomach flu, nor do we manage cancer screening or vaccine schedules.
Getting Ready for Appointments
I booked my first appointment! What happens next?
After you schedule your first appointment, you will receive a SMS text and email reminders of your appointment, including how to get in touch with us for any questions or changes. For more info on getting ready, visit + bookmark this page.
We have three to-do's before your first appointment:
1. Complete the New Patient Info form linked here.
2. Complete the credit card form sent via SMS 24 hours prior to your appointment.
3. (Optional) Send your prior labwork, imaging and other helpful health data from prior diagnoses or suspected diagnoses to support@rheumission.com.
We ask that you try to complete these to-do's 24 hours prior to your appointment, so that your provider has time to review all of your information and can spend the majority of your appointment time talking with you.
It's time for my appointment. How do I join?
There are two ways to join your first integrative rheumatology appointment:
1. Doxy.me, via web browser:
Click the link below for the rheumatology provider you are seeing. Please join 5-10 minutes before your appointment time.
Dr. Beth Biggee, integrative rheumatologist: https://rheumission.doxy.me/drbiggee
Jill Ryan, integrative rheumatology PA: https://rheumission.doxy.me/pajill
OR
2. Rheumission app:
To download the app, click the link in the SMS text that was sent after you booked your visit. If need a new app invite, let us know via: email support@rheumission.com, or text 760.400.9316
Once you've downloaded the app:
(a) Login via the Rheumission app on your phone, or your desktop or tablet browser (Google Chrome, FireFox Mozilla, or Safari. Note: Rheumission is not supported on Internet Explorer).
(b) Enter the phone number you signed up with (your username) and your password.
(c) Go to the Appointments section of the app, and click ‘Join’ under the appropriate appointment.
What if I forgot my Rheumission App password?
Under the password section, click ‘Forgot Password’. Enter your username (the phone number you signed up with) where prompted. You will receive a reset link to your email within 30 minutes. Click the reset link and choose a new password.
Can I use my computer or tablet instead of my phone?
Yes! You can login to Rheumission app on your computer as well. After finishing the enrollment and setting your password, you can click the link here and enter your username, phone number used to sign up and your password.
Rheumission app is supported on the following internet browsers: Google Chrome, FireFox (Mozilla), Safari. Note: Rheumission is not supported on Internet Explorer.
What is the turnaround time for prescriptions and prescription refills? How do I purchase any supplements that you recommend?
For prescriptions that require a prior autorization (PA), turnaround time can depend on medication, sometimes taking as little as 2 weeks and on occasion can take a month or more. If you have not received an update within 2 weeks after the initial prescription, follow up with your care coordinator via Rheumission app. For prescriptions not requiring a PA, they should be faxed to your preferred pharmacy within 24-48 hours of your appointment.
For recommended supplements, you will receive an invitation to Fullscript.com to create an account and access any supplements recommended by your provider.
Why do I need to take surveys/assessments before and after my appointment?
Surveys and assessments are an important part of the information we use to understand how you are doing, and to create the best treatment plan, for you and with you.
We ask that you complete the most important surveys related to your symptoms, lifestyle, quality of life, well-being and patient satisfaction before your first and every follow-up appointment. You will see surveys assigned to you in your Rheumisson app, so you always know which ones need to be done. These surveys usually take less than 5 minutes, and are intended to be quick to complete.
Once your submit your surveys, our providers review your responses prior to your appointment time (so finishing them a day ahead of time is super helpful!). This information gives your provider an important picture of how you are doing compared to your prior surveys. It also gives us a scored view of your symptoms, in addition to the information and examples that you tell us about in our appointment conversation.
In summary, completing these self-assessments + surveys ahead of time -- which we know takes time, and we appreciate your time very much -- ensures that the appointment time can focus on discussing treatment options to co-create your care plan together. That way, the time in your appointment can be used most efficiently and allows for you to ask all of your questions without rushing. Our goal is always to give you the best, personalized care that we can in our time together.
Do I get anything that recaps or tells me what to do after my visit?
Yes! You will receive an after visit summary, which will be available in your messages as a PDF once the provider has signed the clinical note. Providers will send these through within 48 hours of your appointment, and you can always send a message with any questions about the notes.
Insurance, Billing, Labs and Health Data
What insurance plans do you accept? Do you accept Medicare, Medicaid, or Medi-Cal?
We are in-network with major insurance plans in California and Pennsylvania. In California, we are in-network with Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Cigna, and United Healthcare for PPO and EPO members. In Pennsylvania, we are in-network with Capital Blue Cross and Highmark for PPO and EPO members.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accept Medicare/Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, or Medi-Cal plans in CA and PA at this time.
We are expanding — if you have a plan that we do not accept in California or Pennsylvania, or live outside of California or Pennsylvania in the United States, please add yourself to our waitlist.
If you have any questions about your insurance coverage or insurance verification, or want to learn about our self-pay options, please email info@rheumission.com, and we would be happy to help.
How do I get my labs if this is a telehealth clinic?
We are a virtual rheumatology clinic and we can order labs just like your current providers. We will work with you to find the most convenient lab closest to you, and we will send all lab orders to the lab of your choice. The lab will ask you for your insurance information, and you will just pay your standard copay or coinsurance for labs.
All lab orders are discussed with you during your visit and will be sent electronically to Quest or LabCorp unless a different lab is requested. Please message you care coordinator for lab location if needed. If you are at the lab and they do not have your orders, please have them call our practice at (877) 400-9316.
Your lab results can be viewed in the Rheumssion app, sent as a PDF file within your messages. We will also message you our clinical impression of your results. We will review all new lab results with you at your next visit.
Can I share my prior lab work, imaging, reports, and clinical summaries with my Rheumission provider?
Yes! You can send any health information via attachment to support@rheumission.com with your full name and date of birth so that we can attach it to your chart.
Once you have downloaded the Rheumission app, you may also send your medical records and prior labwork to the appropriate provider through the messaging channel.
Select the ‘paperclip icon’ to add the file as an attachment and let them know what it is you are sending in the body of the message, then click the ‘arrow icon’ to send.
Sending this information before your first appointment is especially helpful for your provider to review ahead of your visit.