Frequently Asked Questions

A medical second opinion is an independent review of your diagnosis, treatment plan, or medical records by a specialist physician who was not involved in your original care. It provides an additional perspective to help you and your treating physician make well-informed decisions about your healthcare.

Care Bridge is available to patients in select Asian jurisdictions including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. You must be 18 years or older to create an account. Our service is designed for non-emergency medical consultations — if you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call your local emergency services immediately.

Care Bridge currently offers second opinions in oncology (our flagship specialty) and general internal medicine. All opinions are provided by US-licensed, board-certified specialist physicians. Additional specialties will be added in future phases based on patient needs and physician availability.

All Care Bridge physicians hold active US medical licenses and current board certifications in their respective specialties. Each physician undergoes a thorough credentialing process before joining the platform, including verification of medical education, residency and fellowship training, board certification status, malpractice history, and active licensure.

Care Bridge uses an automated matching system based on your medical specialty needs, the nature of your case, and physician availability. A care coordinator reviews each match to ensure appropriateness. If a match is not suitable, the care coordinator can reassign your case to a different specialist.

Document Second Opinion reports are delivered within 5 business days of case submission. Video Second Opinion reports (30-minute or 60-minute consultations) are delivered within 2 business days after your video consultation. All reports are bilingual (English and your preferred language) and signed by the reviewing physician.

Please prepare relevant medical records including diagnostic reports, lab results, imaging studies (X-rays, CT scans, MRIs), pathology reports, current medication lists, and any previous treatment plans. You can upload documents in most common formats. Our system supports OCR and AI-assisted translation to help your physician review documents in their original language.

Your signed report includes a comprehensive review of your medical records, the physician's independent assessment, discussion of your diagnosis, a summary of treatment options with considerations for your treating physician, and any recommended follow-up steps. Reports are delivered bilingually and can be shared with your local treating physician.

Care Bridge offers three service packages: Document Second Opinion at $599 USD (medical record review with signed report, delivered in 5 business days), Video Second Opinion 30-minute at $899 USD (live video consultation with signed report, delivered in 2 business days), and Video Second Opinion 60-minute at $1,299 USD (extended consultation with signed report, delivered in 2 business days). An annual Access Membership of $49 USD per year is required for platform access.

Coverage varies by insurance plan and jurisdiction. Care Bridge provides a reimbursement support package that includes a physician-authored medical summary, itemized receipt, and superbill with appropriate service codes. You can submit these documents to your insurance provider for potential reimbursement. Please note that Care Bridge does not guarantee insurance reimbursement, and we do not file claims on your behalf.

Yes. Care Bridge is fully HIPAA-compliant. All protected health information (PHI) is encrypted at rest using AES-256 encryption and in transit using TLS 1.3. We maintain Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) with all third-party service providers who may access PHI. Your medical information is never used for marketing purposes and is never sold to third parties.

Your data is stored on secure, HIPAA-compliant infrastructure in the United States. We implement strict role-based access controls, comprehensive audit logging of all data access, automated backup with disaster recovery capabilities, and regular security assessments. Notifications such as appointment reminders and report availability alerts never contain any medical information — they simply direct you to log in to the secure portal.

Care Bridge uses AI to assist with administrative and communication tasks: real-time bilingual translation during video consultations, medical document OCR and organization, preliminary note drafting to save physician time, and bilingual report formatting. AI never makes medical decisions, diagnoses, or treatment recommendations. Every AI-generated output is reviewed, edited, and signed by your assigned physician before it reaches you.

Every AI-generated draft goes through a mandatory review lifecycle: it is created as a draft, submitted for physician review, reviewed and edited by the physician as needed, and only released to the patient after the physician signs the final version. The physician can reject any AI output and write their own content from scratch. No AI-generated content ever reaches the patient without explicit physician approval and signature.

No. Care Bridge is not an emergency medical service and should never be used for urgent or life-threatening situations. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call your local emergency services immediately: 119 (Taiwan), 999 (Hong Kong), 995 (Singapore), or 911 (United States). Care Bridge is designed for non-urgent second opinion consultations where you have time to gather records and schedule a review.