PlushCare vs Teladoc: Which Online Doctor Is Better?

Review of PlushCare’s virtual doctor visit

PlushCare provides virtual primary care and mental health treatment in all 50 states. You’ll talk to your doctor right on your computer, tablet, or smartphone, with same-day appointments available. But is PlushCare legit? We can say, with confidence, yes – PlushCare is one of today’s leading telehealth platforms.

To schedule your first appointment on PlushCare, you’ll first specify whether you’ll pay with or without insurance. PlushCare accepts many insurance plans, including United Healthcare, Aetna, and Humana.

Next, you’ll select your state, and PlushCare will present a list of highly experienced local physicians and their available appointment times. In most cases, you can choose a same-day time slot. You can also view the physicians’ patient reviews and profiles on this page.

Upon selecting your appointment, you’ll be prompted to create a PlushCare profile and become a member. PlushCare’s membership ($14.99/mo) includes online and mobile appointment booking, prescription renewal requests, and unlimited in-app messaging with your care team.

Overall, booking your first appointment with PlushCare takes mere minutes, and you can get on the phone with a clinician in as little as 15 minutes. 

Book an appointment with PlushCare →

Review of Teladoc for primary care online

Teladoc has been in the telemedicine game for 20 years (and running), making it a longstanding choice for remote medical care. It’s available in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, and France, offering a significant range of specialty health services.

To get started with Teladoc, you’ll need to fill out a quick medical history, either online or through the app. You’ll also need to verify your health insurance plan or create an account to pay per visit if you don’t have insurance.

The process of creating a Teladoc account takes just a few minutes, and you’ll be able to request an appointment right away. Teladoc will provide a wait time if you need an appointment ASAP, but you can also schedule an appointment as soon as today or tomorrow.

Teladoc offers a program called Primary360, which lets you connect with a primary care provider for routine checkups, ongoing health needs, and referrals. As a bonus, Primary360 doesn’t require you to pay a membership or subscription fee.

Book an appointment with Teladoc →

PlushCare vs Teladoc: What to look for when choosing a telemedicine platform?

Since the pandemic, telemedicine has undeniably boomed. A National Health Survey found that 37% of adults in 2021 had used telemedicine in the past 21 months. Additionally, according to the American Hospital Association, 76% of hospitals in the U.S. now use some type of virtual care.

In choosing a telemedicine platform, a few key factors will ensure that you get the most out of the experience. 

Convenience

With same-day appointments you can book and attend from an app on your phone, telemedicine platforms make medical care seamlessly fit into any schedule. PlushCare and Teladoc both offer 24/7 virtual doctor services and same-day appointments. This makes them both excellent options for convenient at-home medical care.

Your telehealth platform should allow you to access a complete range of tools and features on the same interface. This includes appointment scheduling, your patient profile, health records, prescriptions, video appointments, and a network of providers. Accessing these features from the same platform gives you complete efficiency and convenience as a telemedicine patient.

PlushCare and Teladoc both offer iPhone and Android mobile apps.

You can use the PlushCare app to:

• Talk to your doctor
• Message your care team
• Upload your insurance information
• Schedule appointments
• View in-network providers
• Select a pharmacy for your prescriptions 

You can use the Teladoc app to:

• Talk to your doctor
• Access your medical information
• Schedule appointments
• Choose a provider
• Select a pharmacy for your prescriptions

Winner: PlushCare, which provides all-access care through its membership model. On both platforms, you have 24/7 access to your care team, but Teladoc only allows you one week of interface with your doctor after an appointment due to their by-appointment payment basis.

Access to specialty care

While general health and primary care are both important, most patients need specialty care at some point. In fact, every year, one in three patients is sent to a specialist. So, if you’re choosing a telehealth platform, it makes sense to choose one with specialty care offerings.

Access to specialty care providers is often hard to come by for low-income patients and those living in rural areas. Telemedicine can close this gap by providing affordable, instantly accessible care from a specialist, and PlushCare and Teladoc both offer this. See below for an entire list of offerings from both platforms.

PlushCare includes specialty care in its membership plan, including sexual health and therapy while all Teladoc treatments, including specialty care, are offered a la carte at different prices depending on the treatment.

Winner: Teladoc, because of their specific dermatology, back & joint care, and nutrition services. Both provide a long list of treatment options, but Teladoc singles them out more, indicating more specific treatments for each.

View Teladoc specialty care options →

Accepts most insurance plans

We’ve all been there: You’re searching for a doctor, only to find that many of the providers in your area don’t accept your insurance plan. To avoid this headache, it’s best to choose a telemedicine platform that’s in-network with most major insurers.

PlushCare accepts most health plans, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Sheild of California, Humana, Medi-Cal, and United Healthcare PPO plans. Unfortunately, PlushCare doesn’t currently accept Medicare or Medicaid.

Teladoc accepts most major insurers, including Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Sheild, Aetna, Cigna, and United Healthcare. They also work with many employers to include Teladoc as a benefit. Teladoc accepts many Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care plans. But, it doesn’t work as a provider for Medicare or Medicaid fee for service.

Prices without insurance:

• PlushCare: $149 for the first visit, $99 for each visit thereafter (+ the $14.99/mo membership fee for any member)
• Teladoc: $75 for each visit

Winner: PlushCare offers more transparency on insurance plans accepted and more variance.

PlushCare vs Teladoc: What are the benefits of seeing your doctor online?