The Top 7 Concierge Medicine Services You Can Get Online
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During its peak, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about major advances in virtual medicine, allowing for an increase in the insurances accepted and government protection so folks could get the care they desired without leaving the safety of their homes. The pandemic may be over, but virtual healthcare is here to stay. Even more exciting is that post-pandemic virtual care has joined forces with concierge-style practices, and the result is wider scale options when it comes to affordable and personalized care. Gone are the days of sitting in crowded urgent care facilities or waiting weeks, sometimes months, for preventive care appointments.
Why consider virtual concierge care?
Online concierge medicine eliminates the stresses of high-premium, high-deductible insurance for nonemergency conditions — connecting patients directly to doctors and healthcare professionals without an exhausting middleman process or astronomical fees. For those who are tired of the rising health insurance costs or who don’t have access to health insurance, these options provide a different route. Online concierge medicine also helps doctors avoid burdensome administrative processes that take them away from the direct care they desire to give. Best of all, convenient virtual medicine can provide broader access and better outcomes than ever before.
Our methodology:
We researched and vetted dozens of platforms based on the standard of care, ease of use, cost, and confidentiality. These are our top seven picks offering top-of-the-line virtual care no matter your age, primary language, sexual orientation, or employment standing. The options on this list specialize in a range of medicine from urgent and primary care to disease management, preventative health, and even needs like genetics-based medicine and gender-affirming care for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Before reading on, note that none of these services offer care for life-threatening emergencies. Always seek immediate in-person emergency care when necessary. We also recommend carrying health insurance in line with legal guidelines, and as you’ll see, a number of the options below do take insurance.
1. Wild Health
Best For | Preventative and holistic care
Prices Starting At | Standard plan $395/mo. (4 month minimum) or $362/month with year-ahead payment. Premium plans start at $20,000 yearly.
Accepts Insurance | HSA or FSA Cards accepted
Locations | Nationwide in the US
Ages served | 18+
If you are looking for a one-stop concierge health practice that goes way beyond traditional primary care, Wild Health is it. Wild Health offers three levels of membership, but each one scales status-quo health guidelines practicing what is known as precision medicine. This practice pays close attention to genetics for the most personalized care possible. Results from a home DNA test and an extensive lab panel from bloodwork help professionals develop a custom health plan and assign patients to a team of specialized providers and health coaches to help with follow-up labs and meet optimum health goals. Each Wild Health option includes an in-depth health analysis with documented plan results, regular physician visits, diet and exercise plans, supplementation, sleep tracking, and follow-up support. While the “Elite” or white glove plan is the most comprehensive, with direct access to your concierge doctor, even the “Standard” plan offers premium services. All Wild Health Physicians are board-certified with specialized training in precision medicine, and all its health coaches hold accreditation from the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaching. Wild Health also partners with Thorne Supplements to offer patients a discount on supplements.
2. Sesame
Best For | Affordable healthcare for ESL patients
Prices Starting At | $11/mo. or $99 per year
Accepts Insurance | No
Locations | Nationwide in the US
Ages served | Birth+
Sesame’s mission is to eliminate the frustration of high health insurance deductibles or lack of health insurance. To achieve this, Sesame plays the role of matchmaker between members and independent health providers regarding primary outpatient care and specialist providers like pediatricians and dermatologists. Through Sesame, members can also access dental and mental healthcare providers. Because Sesame providers do not accept insurance, they can provide quick, convenient care at affordable prices. Bonus for non-English speaking patients: Sesame providers offer care in 40 languages. While Sesame pushes telehealth or virtual visits, in-person options are available in some locations. Sesame providers can provide prescription refills, order labs, and imaging, and even offer urgent care appointments. While the benefits of membership are numerous, Sesame allows one-time visits and referrals for a higher per-visit cost. Membership saves you money on each visit and can get you one free lab test yearly.
3. Caraway Health
Best For | Gen Z women or assigned female at birth
Prices Starting At | $270/year, free trial for 30 days
Accepts Insurance | No
Locations | CA, CO, IL, MA, MI, NJ, NY, NC, OH, and PA (if you are in school in any of these states, no matter where you are from, you can use services)
Ages served | College students and young professionals
Caraway Health focuses on the healthcare needs of Gen Z, specifically college students and young professionals assigned to the female gender at birth. The Caraway goal is to empower these women and trans people to manage their physical and mental health without having to be an expert on insurance semantics. The Caraway medical team follows evidence-based clinical guidelines. The one-time yearly fee gives members access to the app that provides immediate mental, physical, and reproductive healthcare via phone chat or video chat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whether you need answers to health-related questions or birth control, bloodwork, or STI testing, you can reach Caraway’s doctors, nurses, therapists, and coaches via the app. If and when in-person care is needed, the Caraway team will make referrals to the most appropriate provider and follow up to ensure patients get the care needed. In addition, the platform’s health advisors can help patients navigate insurance and provide education so they can feel knowledgeable and in control of their health. Caraway is meant to complement student health services, not replace them. Membership does not cover the cost of in-person care, prescriptions, or other services that require payment at the time of service or an insurance copay.
4. Curai Health
Best For | Employers looking for an extra benefit
Prices Starting At | $15/month and renew automatically
Accepts Insurance | No
Locations | Nationwide in the US
Curai Health is a HIPPA-compliant app-based healthcare service that uses a proprietary AI and machine learning platform combined with healthcare professionals to provide accurate primary care. The Curai goal is to reduce the hassle and cost of unneeded visits to an office. Curai provides help with disease management, urgent care, wellness planning, and preventative care. Curai doctors are board-certified family, internal, and emergency physicians who can write prescriptions and order labs when needed. Because this is a solely virtual practice, the Curai team can refer patients to local specialists and services if or when in-person care is required. Curai Health staff can schedule the visit on the member’s behalf and ensure the provider is in-network for those insured. Depending on your employer, a Curai membership could be an added benefit at no cost to you as an employee. Curai can also manage all treatment records, ensuring your doctors have all relevant information and that records are secure in one place. While a Curai Care Team is available 24/7, the doctors keep regular hours of 6 a.m.–6 p.m. Pacific time. Although Curai doesn’t accept it directly, insurance may cover referred specialist visits, appointments, prescriptions, or other in-person expenses.
5. FOLX
Best For | LGBTQIA+ community
Prices Starting At | $40/mo. for membership + copay per visit if insured ($160 per visit if uninsured). Prepay yearly membership for $299.
Accepts Insurance | Yes but cannot accept members with Medicaid or Medicaid-managed plans
Locations | Nationwide, but services in some states are limited
Ages served | 18+
As noted on the FOLX website, LGBTQIA+ people experience physical, mental, and behavioral health disparities driven by discrimination, stigma, and violence. FOLX wants to solve that, claiming itself “for everybody and every body” with the largest nationwide network of LGBTQIA+ specialized providers. This virtual-based care team focuses on the specific and custom needs of the trans community. While capable of primary and preventive care, FOLX Health’s sexual and reproductive healthcare is focused on the trans and queer experience and is done so without judgment and discreetly when desired. This practice offers gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and mental health services, as well as family and fertility planning for the LGBTQIA community. FOLX is available with or without insurance, and uninsured people can pay cash for services. FOLX encourages employers to provide access to its program and even offers training and resources on topics such as “How to be an Ally to the LGBTQIA Community,” “Supporting a Team Member’s Transition,” “Pronouns at Work,” and more. Members can also access health resources, peer-led support groups, live events, and forums through the Community Platform.
6. Virtuwell
Best For | Nonemergency illness and conditions
Prices start at | $59 per appointment, without insurance
Accepts Insurance | Yes
Locations | AR, CA, CO, CT, IA, MI, MN, NY, ND, PA, SD, VA, WI
Ages served | Ages 2 and up
With Virtuwell, there is no regular membership fee. Instead, you pay per virtual appointment with a certified nurse practitioner who offers a customized treatment plan. This practice specializes in treating people online using nationally recognized clinical guidelines and specifically engineered software, which refers to the latest research and evidence-based science. Virtuwell will only treat conditions deemed safe for online care, which includes diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses and injuries. They also offer at-home test kits for STD and colon cancer screenings. Virtuwell nurse practitioners (NPs) possess a Master of Science degree in nursing and have achieved US national board certification. A Virtuwell visit includes answering questions about symptoms and medical history and potentially submitting photos if needed to diagnose. There is no charge if a patient’s condition cannot be diagnosed or treated through Virtuwell and requires an in-person visit with a doctor or specialist. Virtuwell NPs can prescribe medications when needed and offer free follow-up care as long as it relates to your visit. Follow-ups are allowed for 60 days for birth control, acne, and other skin treatments and 30 days for any other condition. Vitruwell will collect your insurance and credit card info during checkout if you are insured, and submit a claim on your behalf.
7. LitonMD
Best For | Prescription management
Prices Starting At | Urgent Care at $150 per visit. Individual plan, $75/mo. Couple plan, $99/mo. Family plans, $175/mo.
Accepts Insurance | No
Locations | Nationwide, but services in some states are limited
Ages served | 2+
LitonMD was born out of a prescription delivery service known as LitonRx. It offers urgent care, virtual concierge care, and prescription delivery services to its patients. With LitonMD, you choose the type of service needed to share medical history. The LitonMD care coordinator will assess your symptoms and, depending on the severity of the health condition, connect you with a doctor who may perform an audio or video consultation. LitonMD doctors diagnose and treat common ailments and minor illnesses, help with prescription management and lab monitoring, and care for chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, and more. They also offer dietary counseling and management for minor musculoskeletal injuries. You will not be charged if a LitonMD care specialist cannot treat your symptoms through virtual care. And like the rest of our picks, LitonMD is a HIPAA-compliant platform. You can relax knowing all your documents, medical records, personal information, and conversations with medical professionals will be safe and private.
Featured image by Sesame
