PlushCare is a telehealth platform that offers access to virtual consultations with licensed healthcare providers, online prescriptions and refills, and personalized support. The platform’s services cover multiple health interests, including mental health support, urgent care, sexual health, and weight management care.
The platform’s digital-first model may help tackle the common concerns associated with in-person clinic visits, such as long wait times for appointments and the need for flexible scheduling.
In this review, we examine the platform’s strengths and limitations by evaluating the quality and convenience of its virtual healthcare services, the transparency and accessibility of its services, and the overall user experience.
About PlushCare
Co-founded by Dr. James Wantuck and Ryan McQuaid, PlushCare provides access to online healthcare services through a digital model. According to the official site, the platform may connect you with board-certified, experienced doctors from the top 50 medical institutions in the U.S.
As part of its urgent care category, the platform claims that its services may help tackle non-emergency medical needs, such as allergies, colds, tooth infections, asthma, rashes, and back and neck pain.
Under the weight management care category, the licensed providers from the platform may tailor customized programs, offer access to prescriptions for compounded and brand-name GLP-1 therapies if required, and provide ongoing support to help with your fitness needs.
To access the platform’s services, you need to book an online same-day appointment, consult with a licensed clinician via video, and receive prescriptions if required. It also offers monthly and annual membership plans that include benefits like same-day appointments, in-app messaging with your care team, discounts on lab tests, and prescription discounts.
As per the official site, with insurance, PlushCare charges a $19.99 monthly membership (first month free), and most visits cost a copay of $30 or less. Meanwhile, without insurance coverage, the membership is still $19.99 per month (first month free), but each visit costs $129.
PlushCare Service Services
Online Prescriptions
As per the official site, the platform offers online prescription services for both new medications and refills. You may consult with licensed providers through video or phone appointments, with each session usually lasting around 15 minutes. Post-consultation, if the healthcare provider approves, prescriptions are sent electronically to your preferred pharmacy.
Through the platform, you may receive prescriptions for common issues like urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, and skin concerns such as acne or eczema. It also provides access to prescriptions for mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, as well as ongoing conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes.
However, it is essential to note that the platform does not provide prescriptions for controlled substances, including some pain medications or stimulants, due to federal regulations.
Mental Health
As part of its mental health category, the platform may connect you with board-certified physicians to support you through emotional or psychological challenges. The platform’s services offer support for various mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and bipolar disorder.
Through the platform, you may receive access to online therapy consultations, allowing you to speak directly with a licensed therapist. During these sessions, you may discuss your feelings, explore coping strategies, and create a personalized plan to manage your mental health. If appropriate, the licensed physicians may prescribe medications, excluding controlled substances, to tackle your specific mental health needs.
Weight Management
PlushCare offers comprehensive weight management programs to help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. The program is guided by board-certified primary care doctors who help create personalized plans based on your lifestyle, fitness goals, and metrics such as BMI, body weight, and basal metabolic rate.
As per the official site, for eligibility to the weight management program, you may qualify if you have a BMI of 30 or higher, type 2 diabetes, or if your BMI is 27 with at least one weight-related condition. It is important to note that the program is not accessible if you have symptoms of active eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, or binge eating disorder.
The licensed providers may offer prescriptions for compounded GLP-1 medications, and even FDA-approved options as part of the platform’s weight management care programs. Your program will also include ongoing support and monitoring from the care team. Doctors may track your progress, adjust your plan as needed, and provide guidance on diet, exercise, and lifestyle habits.
Urgent Care
PlushCare provides access to online urgent care services to tackle non-emergency medical needs via a virtual appointment with licensed providers. Through the platform, board-certified physicians may evaluate your symptoms, prescribe medications if appropriate, and offer referrals for lab tests alongside follow-up care.
As per the official site, the platform’s services may cover multiple urgent care conditions. These may include respiratory issues like asthma, infections such as sinus or urinary tract infections, cold and flu symptoms, skin rashes, STDs, tooth infections, migraines, and yeast infections.
However, the platform’s online urgent care services are not equipped to handle serious emergencies. You should seek immediate medical attention at a hospital if you experience life-threatening symptoms or injuries, such as severe allergic reactions, chest pain, trouble breathing, uncontrolled bleeding, or conditions that may require hospitalization.
Sexual Health
As part of its online sexual health services, the platform may connect you with licensed healthcare providers specializing in sexual health, allowing you to book appointments and receive prescriptions the same day at your local pharmacy. The platform emphasizes a safe and non-judgmental environment where you may speak openly about sexual health, sexual orientation, and gender.
The services may cover a wide range of sexual health concerns. Licensed providers may prescribe birth control to prevent pregnancy and also to manage some health issues, such as making periods lighter or less painful. Sexual health providers on the platform may also prescribe testing and diagnosis to detect and manage sexually transmitted infections. In cases of severe concerns like HIV, providers may discuss condition management plans and provide a referral to specialists for ongoing monitoring and support.
PlushCare Advantages
App-Based Ecosystem Integration
PlushCare’s service model integrates a dedicated app to help manage your prescriptions and care. The PlushCare App works on both Android and iOS platforms, enabling you to book same-day or next-day appointments with board-certified doctors. It may also help you set reminders about medication refills, follow-up visits, and lab results, which might help you stay on track with your personalized programs.
The data collected by the app is protected under HIPAA standards, so your private health information remains secure. For you, the app-integrated ecosystem could mean less hassle and fewer extra steps. You may set up the time of your online visits, talk to your doctor, and get your prescriptions sent to your local pharmacy all through the same app.
Insurance Compatibility
According to the official site, PlushCare’s services are covered by major insurers, including Aetna, Humana, Cigna, and BlueCross Blue Shield. While you may access the platform’s services with or without insurance, the integration of insurance coverage may require you to pay your normal copay or coinsurance instead of the full price, which often comes to about $30 or less. Meanwhile, without insurance coverage, the cost for initial and follow-up consultations increases to $129.
The insurance coverage provided by the brand could make the billing process simple and predictable. For you, this means your online visits may fit into your existing insurance plan, which might translate to reduced financial strain. It could make the platform’s services more accessible if you are looking for clear, upfront costs with no hidden fees.
PlushCare Limitation
Past Concerns With Service and Billing
Based on a previous record of Better Business Bureau reviews, PlushCare has faced some concerns related to billing transparency and subscription management. For instance, one user experienced fluctuating rates in the monthly membership fees charged, ranging from $16.99 to $21.99. Such billing concerns may point to systemic gaps in the brand’s billing oversight and cancellation processes.
Beyond billing, service-related complaints also surfaced in the reviews. Some users stated that they were misled into signing up for the platform while searching online for other providers, raising questions about advertising clarity and online positioning. A few users faced insurance coding errors that led to denied claims and lengthy disputes, often without adequate assistance from support staff.
While the platform offered partial refunds in cases of some billing errors and insurance disputes, the resolution of service-related or billing issues may require patience and regular follow-ups. Even where some disputes were resolved, the recurring nature of these problems could point to structural shortcomings that may lower your trust in accessing the services provided by the platform.
Pros
- The platform’s services are available in all 50 U.S. states, expanding reach and accessibility.
- Maintains transparent membership fees and pricing model for both insured and uninsured members.
- The brand’s membership model includes perks like a prescription discount card, exclusive discounts on lab tests, and access to unlimited messaging.
- Accepts HSA/FSA payments, making it easier to pay via standard healthcare spending methods.
- Offers same-day virtual appointments for multiple services, such as urgent care, sexual health, and mental health.
Cons
- Some users have expressed concerns around billing, such as differences in estimates vs actual copays or surprise charges.
- A few consumers have experienced poor customer support responsiveness.
PlushCare Alternatives
Amwell
Both Amwell and PlushCare provide access to virtual healthcare services and online prescriptions to tackle diverse fitness needs. However, the platforms may have nuances in terms of their core focus, range of service offerings, and personalization features.
Amwell claims to offer 24/7 virtual consultation access, 365 days a year, to licensed doctors or therapists from the comfort of your home. The service offerings from the platform cover multiple health interests, including urgent care, online therapy sessions, nutritional counseling, psychiatry services, pediatrics, women’s health, and second opinions. Such a range may cover multiple healthcare needs.
Meanwhile, PlushCare focuses on providing access to same-day appointments with licensed physicians, which may connect you with a physician in as little as 15 minutes. The platform’s service model covers multiple healthcare needs, including urgent care for non-emergency conditions, online prescriptions, weight management care, mental health care, sexual health, and general health.
Nutritional counseling is another differentiator between the platforms. For instance, Amwell may connect you with registered dietitians, who may offer structured meal plans and help personalize nutrition programs to suit your dietary concerns. These may include personalized nutrition programs that may target food allergies, digestive disorders, vegetarian preferences, meal planning, or vitamin/mineral deficiencies. On the other hand, PlushCare does not list nutritional counseling programs or access to dedicated dietitians among its services.
Sesame Care
When comparing the Sesame Care and PlushCare telehealth platforms, there are some differences in their core positioning and approach to personalized care.
As per its official site, Sesame Care offers access to 380+ services across 35+ specialities while enabling you access to same-day doctor consultation, whether online or in-person, at a price range between $34 and $47. The specialities covered by the brand’s digital-first model include areas like urgent care, dermatology, psychiatry, weight management care, menopause, pediatrics, mental health, and counseling.
Beyond the specialities, Sesame Care’s platform also provides access to virtual consultations with licensed providers and prescriptions/refills to tackle different symptoms. These symptoms may include skin-related concerns like acne and eczema, back pain, anxiety, sore throat, urinary tract infections, asthma, and ear infections.
Meanwhile, PlushCare’s service model provides prompt access to online consultations with board-certified physicians and prescriptions if appropriate. The platform’s offerings focus on virtual care support for non-emergency issues such as colds, flu, rashes, common infections like sinus and tooth infections, asthma, and bacterial vaginosis.
Within its mental health category, the platform may link you to licensed healthcare providers who may help address emotional and psychological concerns. The platform could provide care and guidance for various mental health concerns, such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, bipolar disorder, and ADHD.
Insurance coverage is another point of distinction between the platforms. Sesame Care uses a self-pay approach that accepts HSA and FSA cards but does not offer insurance reimbursement for any of its service offerings. The lack of insurance integration may contribute to added financial strain and out-of-pocket costs.
On the other hand, PlushCare’s services are backed by insurance coverage from major insurance providers, such as BlueCross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, and Humana. The added insurance integration lowers the cost of online consultations to around $30 per visit, while self-pay visits are $129.
How Did We Evaluate PlushCare?
Reputation of the Brand
To evaluate PlushCare’s reputation, we looked at how the platform is rated across trusted review platforms and what the feedback revealed about user experiences. PlushCare is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with a “B+” rating. It may be due to multiple complaints filed against the brand’s services in terms of billing issues and unresponsive support.
On Trustpilot, the brand holds a rating of 3.4 out of 5, which is based on more than 2,400+ reviews. Trustpilot ratings indicate a mixed response to the brand’s services, as many users found the platform’s services convenient and efficient, while a few experienced issues with the platform interface and support.
Meanwhile, TenereTeam has provided the platform with a 5 out of 5 rating, but the rating is based on a small number of reviews.
This suggests that the brand offers accessible telehealth services but may carry a reputation that is neither wholly positive nor entirely negative.
Authentic User Reviews
For evaluating PlushCare, we looked closely at recent Trustpilot reviews from 2025, which reflect a mixed response among users. On the positive side, many users praised the platform for its convenience and accessibility. They found it simple to book appointments and connect with a doctor quickly, often noting that the process from scheduling to prescription handling was seamless.
Some reviewers highlighted the professionalism and compassion of the licensed providers from the platform, describing them as attentive, thorough, and genuinely supportive. However, our evaluation also considered recurring criticisms of the brand’s services. For instance, some users expressed frustration with physicians they felt were dismissive or unwilling to listen to their concerns. A few reviewers also reported instances of rushed consultations that left them feeling overlooked and dissatisfied with the level of care.
Beyond clinical concerns, billing issues also emerged as a common complaint. Some users expressed concerns around surprise charges, confusion around insurance coverage, and difficulties getting disputes resolved despite repeated attempts to work with customer service.
Our evaluation of customer feedback may suggest that the platform may deliver quick, accessible healthcare for many, but could fall short for others due to inconsistent physician experiences and billing challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the platform claims to provide access to same-day appointments with healthcare providers. However, availability might vary depending on provider schedules and real-time demand.
No, the brand does not employ psychiatrists. Instead, mental health support is provided by board-certified physicians and licensed therapists on the platform.
No, the cost of lab tests is not included in consultation fees. You may incur added costs for at-home lab kits, depending on the test panel. Shipping costs for the kits are also separate.
Conclusion
PlushCare may provide remote access to online healthcare services through virtual consultations with licensed physicians. Its service offerings may provide support across different healthcare needs, such as online prescriptions, sexual health, or urgent care. The platform also offers a dedicated mobile app that may help you schedule appointments for routine needs, manage prescriptions, or receive support from the care team.
However, there have been some issues with the platform’s billing transparency, subscription management, and service communication in the past. These past concerns may reflect structural gaps that might impact your experience with the platform.
Moreover, the platform’s virtual care model may fall short of replacing standard clinic visits for complex medical issues or therapies that require physical examinations. Factors like local provider availability, your budget, insurance coverage, and the care you require may influence whether the platform could meet your expectations.
- About the Author
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Alisha Matthew has been a practicing nutritionist since 2016. She holds a master’s degree in nutrition from the University of IOWA. She is a staunch believer in improving the human health index by educating people about nutrition and the importance of nutrition in leading a healthy and happy life. Her long-term goal is to keep educating people on general health and keep herself updated with the latest trends in the field of health.