Johns Hopkins Medicine will start billing for some online messaging to doctors starting on July 18.

The organization says it is rethinking how it handles virtual messaging on its MyChart portal as “virtual options have become a standard part of health care, and insurance companies now recognize some MyChart medical advice messaging as a billable service.”

MyChart is an online program that allows people to correspond with their doctors, get test results and make appointments.

“This change ensures that clinicians have the time they need to review and respond appropriately to patients’ concerns,” Johns Hopkins Medicine officials wrote in an internal memo.

Telehealth has grown precipitously since the pandemic.

A study from the Government Accountability Office found that telehealth visits increased 15 times during the pandemic from 2.1 million a year to 32.5 million a year in the United States.

Spending on telehealth services averages about $4 billion a year in the nation.

Johns Hopkins Medicine did not respond in time to an interview request for this article.

The organization says it will focus on billing non-urgent messages and that most messaging to doctors will not be chargeable.

JHM noted that its billing will be consistent with other medical systems that have decided to charge for online messaging.