3 Easiest Ways To Get a Letter of Medical Necessity Online

A Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) you get online is very similar to the one you’d get at a doctor’s office, it’s just a much faster, easier process. It really just comes down to finding the most convenient option for you, while ensuring they’re a legitimate provider.

What makes an online Letter of Medical Necessity different from a regular one?

An online Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) is functionally the same as a traditional one. The only difference is the entire process is done online, including the consultation.

The rise in popularity of both online healthcare and telehealth has made this far more accessible in recent years. You no longer have to visit your doctor in person, but can instead complete a quick consultation at checkout, receiving an LMN for your medically approved purchase in less than a minute.

How do you know if an online Letter of Medical Necessity you get is legitimate?

The best way to verify that a Letter of Medical Necessity you received online is legitimate is to check the source of the letter and the credentials of the healthcare provider. Importantly, the letter must come from a licensed healthcare provider that has completed a genuine medical assessment.

The first thing to look for is the healthcare professional’s credentials, including their name, official title, and contact details. Ideally, they’ve also listed their license number and the jurisdiction they’re licensed to operate in. They should also have officially signed the document.

Next, the letter should include the patient details, as it should be addressed to a specific individual for a particular health issue. It should also include the date it was written, as a Letter of Medical Necessity is typically valid for 12 months. 

If any of this information is missing, it could be a sign you’re not dealing with a legitimate provider. Here are some other red flags to look for:

1. No consultation required: While you don’t have to see a doctor in person, you will need a consultation of some kind (online or over the phone) to have a Letter of Medical Necessity issued.

2. Guaranteed approval: A provider guarantees they can provide you an LMN without hearing your circumstances.

3. Instant turnaround: Getting an LMN should always require a consultation—it can be fast (like 5 minutes), but it should never be instantaneous.

4. Generic information: If the details of the letter are generic or vague, then it likely wasn’t written for you.

5. Missing contact info: The details or contact information for either the healthcare provider or LMN provider is ambiguous (or outright missing).

6. Requesting sensitive information not related to your health: The LMN provider shouldn’t request sensitive personal information like your Social Security Number or passwords.

If the letter you get back doesn’t speak directly to your situation and doesn’t have all the credentials that show a genuine assessment was conducted by a healthcare professional, then it may not be a legitimate LMN.

5 necessary components an online Letter of Medical Necessity should include

When you get your letter, you’ll want to check that it has the following elements before you pass it off to your provider.

1. Patient details - The letter should contain personal information like your name and date of birth. In some cases, it may have other information like your address or policy number.

2. Clearly state your medical diagnosis - State exactly what the medical condition is. It doesn’t hurt to have some details about your medical history pertaining to the condition, such as when you were first diagnosed, how your condition has changed, and what treatments you’ve tried in the past.

3. Define your treatment plan - Be as specific as possible about the particular products or services that would be helpful in executing the patient’s treatment plan.

4. Justification of medical necessity - Clearly state why the recommended product or service is a medical necessity, connecting it with the treatment plan, explaining exactly how this will help the patient fix,  manage, or alleviate their condition.

5. Signature & credentials - The healthcare professional that administered the letter should provide their credentials, including their name, title, and license number. They should also sign the letter to make it official.