---
title: "What Is Asynchronous Telehealth? Store and Forward Defined"
description: "Asynchronous telehealth lets a provider review a patient's intake later, with no live visit. Where it fits, where it does not, and how Cuvo Health runs it."
canonical: "https://cuvo.co/glossary/asynchronous-telehealth"
last-updated: "Oct 26, 2026"
---
**Definition:** Asynchronous telehealth, also called store and forward, is care in which a patient's medical information, such as an intake questionnaire, photos or lab results, is sent to a licensed provider who reviews it later, without the two meeting in real time.

# What is asynchronous telehealth (store and forward)?

Most consumer telehealth programs begin with a form, not a video call: the patient completes an intake at any hour and a licensed provider reviews it later. That model is asynchronous telehealth, and the law treats it differently by state and by drug. Cuvo Health includes asynchronous consults on every plan, alongside live video for the cases a rule or a provider says need one.

Published Oct 26, 2026. Facts reviewed Oct 26, 2026.

Asynchronous telehealth, also called store and forward, is care in which a patient's medical information, such as an intake questionnaire, photos or lab results, is sent to a licensed provider who reviews it later, without both being present at the same moment. Medicare's rule describes asynchronous store and forward technology as transmitting a patient's medical information to a practitioner at a distant site, who can review the case without the patient being present (42 CFR 410.78(a)(1)). It suits protocol-driven, refill-heavy programs where the clinical question is standardized. On Cuvo Health, asynchronous consults are included on every plan, providers are available 24 hours a day, and a new intake gets its first provider review as fast as 15 minutes.

**At a glance**
- What it is: A provider reviews the patient's submitted information later, not in real time
- Also called: Store and forward; async
- Medicare definition: 42 CFR 410.78(a)(1); Medicare pays for it only in the Alaska and Hawaii demonstration programs
- Main federal limit: Controlled substances by telemedicine need a real-time visit (21 CFR 1307.41)
- On Cuvo: Async consults on every plan, first provider review as fast as 15 minutes

**Asynchronous and synchronous telehealth compared**

| Question | Asynchronous (store and forward) | Synchronous |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **When the provider acts** | Later, working from a queue | During a live encounter |
| **Typical format** | Intake questionnaire, photos, lab results, messages | Video visit, or audio-only where a rule allows |
| **Controlled substances by telemedicine** | Not sufficient under 21 CFR 1307.41 | Required: an interactive telecommunications system |
| **California example** | An appropriate prior examination may be asynchronous (BPC 2242(a)) | Defined as a real-time interaction (BPC 2290.5(a)(5)) |
| **On Cuvo** | Included on every plan | Live video included on every plan |

## 01. Why does asynchronous telehealth matter for a telehealth brand?

It removes scheduling from the path between a patient's decision and a completed intake. The patient finishes when they are ready, and the provider works a queue instead of a calendar, so capacity follows demand rather than booked slots. For consumer categories where the intake is standardized and refills repeat on a set cadence, that is usually the lower-friction model. The trade-offs between the two modalities are covered in Cuvo's async vs sync post.

## 02. Is asynchronous telehealth allowed in every state?

There is no single national answer, because each state writes its own telehealth and examination rules and revises them. California is a clear example of a state that permits it: an appropriate prior examination before prescribing does not require a synchronous interaction and can be achieved through telehealth, including a self-screening tool or a questionnaire, provided the licensee complies with the standard of care (Business and Professions Code section 2242(a)). California also requires the provider to obtain and document the patient's verbal or written consent to telehealth first (section 2290.5(b)). Other states set different conditions, so coverage is checked state by state.

## 03. When can asynchronous care not be used?

Three cases. When a controlled substance is prescribed by telemedicine without a prior in-person evaluation, the DEA flexibilities in force through December 31, 2026 require a communication over an interactive telecommunications system, which 42 CFR 410.78(a)(3) defines as two-way, real-time audio and video at a minimum, with a narrow audio-only allowance (21 CFR 1307.41(c)(2)). When a state rule requires a live encounter for the care involved. And whenever the treating provider decides a case needs one.

## 04. How does Cuvo run asynchronous consults?

The patient completes a branded intake with contraindication screening and identity verification, and the case routes to a provider licensed where the patient is located. Live video visits are included on every plan as well, so a program that needs a real-time visit runs beside an asynchronous GLP-1 program on the same storefront; testosterone, which needs one, runs on Grow, Enterprise and Cuvo Prescribe, where EPCS is included. Cuvo's 50-state regulatory monitoring applies state rule changes, including limits on asynchronous care, inside the platform. Every consult is $25 when completed, with no revenue share.

## Frequently asked questions

**Q: What is asynchronous telehealth?**

A: Asynchronous telehealth, or store and forward, is care in which a patient sends medical information such as an intake, photos or lab results, and a licensed provider reviews it later without a live meeting. On Cuvo, asynchronous consults are included on every plan, with a first provider review as fast as 15 minutes.

**Q: What is store and forward telemedicine?**

A: Store and forward is another name for asynchronous telehealth: the patient's information is stored and forwarded to a provider at a distant site, who reviews it without the patient present, as 42 CFR 410.78(a)(1) describes. On Cuvo, store and forward consults run on every plan.

**Q: Synchronous vs asynchronous telehealth: what is the difference?**

A: Synchronous telehealth is a live, real-time encounter; asynchronous telehealth is a review of information the patient submitted earlier. On Cuvo, both are included on every plan at $25 per completed consult, so a provider can use whichever the rule and the case require.

**Q: Can controlled substances be prescribed through asynchronous telehealth?**

A: Not under the DEA telemedicine flexibilities in force through December 31, 2026, which require a communication over a real-time interactive telecommunications system before a controlled substance is prescribed without an in-person evaluation. On Cuvo, live video visits are included on every plan, and testosterone programs, which need them, run on Grow, Enterprise and Cuvo Prescribe, where EPCS is included.

**Q: Does a telehealth brand need asynchronous visits?**

A: Most consumer brands benefit from them, because an intake the patient can finish at any hour removes scheduling from the funnel, where state law and the provider's judgment allow it. Cuvo Health includes asynchronous consults and live video on every plan, so the brand does not choose one platform per modality.

**Related pages**

- [Async vs sync telehealth](/blog/async-vs-sync-telehealth): Conversion, staffing and prescribing rules compared
- [Synchronous telehealth](/glossary/synchronous-telehealth): The live-visit counterpart
- [Good faith exam](/glossary/good-faith-exam): The exam before treatment, and when it can be async
- [Cuvo provider network](/provider-network): Visit types, routing and first-review speed
- [Telehealth glossary](/glossary): Every term a telehealth founder meets

Canonical page: https://cuvo.co/glossary/asynchronous-telehealth