Sesame Care is a teletherapy company that offers on-demand consultations in person and online. It accepts cash payments for a range of health services.
Sesame Care offers services that cover many health concerns, including:
- Mental health: Sesame Care offers therapy and psychiatry services, including long-term counseling.
- Weight loss: Customers can receive prescriptions for GLP-1 weight loss medication, such as Wegovy, Zepbound, and Saxenda.
- Sexual health: People can request prescriptions for erectile dysfunction (ED) medications, including sildenafil (Viagra).
- Dermatology: Sesame Care offers appointments for skin concerns, including acne, psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, and hair thinning or hair loss.
- Pediatrics: A range of services are available for children’s health concerns, such as allergies, viral infections, and asthma.
Customers can select healthcare professionals based on their specialties and credentials.
The price of Sesame Care services varies depending on the healthcare professional, location, and type of service. Same-day medical visits and prescriptions start at $44, and the highest prices are around $180.
The variability in price allows people to choose the option that best suits their budget.
Sesame Care offers a membership scheme, Sesame Plus, which reduces overall costs for a regular fee. The membership scheme is available for $10.99 per month or $99 per year. Members receive a $10 discount on all telehealth and primary care visits, including visits with dentists and specialists. A free lab or blood test is also available to members.
Sesame Care and insurance
Sesame Care does not accept health insurance. Instead, it provides bills for people to take to their insurance providers. Individuals should check with their insurance providers before receiving services or prescriptions to determine whether they are covered.
Sesame Care accepts health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs).
Sesame Care is particularly suitable for people who do not have health insurance or who prefer to pay healthcare professionals directly. It offers a low cost alternative to insurance payments.
Individuals seeking nonemergency urgent appointments may also benefit from Sesame Care’s same-day appointments and prescription refills. While telehealth services may help people determine whether they need emergency care, these services are not suitable for life threatening emergencies.
Sesame Care may also suit people who require a healthcare professional who can speak specific languages. The website allows users to filter professionals by 24 languages, including Spanish, French, Russian, Mandarin, Farsi, and Tagalog.
Who it may not suit
Sesame Care may not be the best choice for people with robust health insurance plans, since their health insurance plans may provide better coverage. The cash-payment model that Sesame uses makes it more challenging to reimburse treatments with existing insurance providers.
People seeking long-term care may also prefer to find treatment elsewhere. Sesame Care primarily focuses on providing on-demand and one-time services. It may not be reliable or cost-effective for long-term treatment.
Reviews for Sesame Care are typically favorable. The company holds an A rating with the Better Business Bureau and generally receives positive customer reviews.
Customers frequently praise Sesame Care’s transparent pricing, direct payment structure, and low costs. Users also appreciate the ease of use and accessibility, particularly the fact that the company offers same-day and urgent appointments.
Criticisms often focus on availability issues, with some locations having a limited selection of healthcare professionals to choose from. Negative reviews occasionally mention specific healthcare professionals not attending appointments or not providing requested prescriptions.
Some people have found the customer support team helpful, while others have not.
How we research telehealth companies
Medical News Today reviews telehealth providers based on the below criteria:
- Services: Does the provider offer a wide range of services? Do they cater to urgent requests?
- Cost: Is the provider suitable for a range of budgets? Are pricing plans transparent?
- Insurance: Does the provider accept insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid? Do they accept FSAs and HSAs?
- Prescriptions: Can customers get prescriptions? Are they available for home delivery or convenient local collection?
- Accessibility: How does the provider make care accessible? For example, do they offer different language options?
Read more on how we review telehealth companies.
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to start with Sesame Care:
- Create an account: A person will need to create a Sesame Care account online or via the Sesame Care app. This process requires personal information, including the person’s name, location, and email address.
- Select a service: Once the account is active, people can browse the services available to them, such as online therapy, prescription refills, and ED consultations.
- Select a provider: People can then select a professional available in their area. They can filter by availability, specialities, credentials, gender, and language.
- Book an appointment: People can book an online or in-person appointment. A direct up-front payment is required.
After creating an account and booking initial appointments, people can arrange repeat appointments or prescriptions as needed.
Sesame Care is a legitimate telehealth provider. It is well established, has many customer reviews, and practices secure data handling.
No, Sesame Care does not accept insurance. It uses a cash payment model. It can provide bills for users to seek reimbursement from their insurance providers.
Sesame Care offers same-day prescriptions and refills starting at $45. It is a good option for people looking for a low cost provider that does not require insurance, and may also suit a person who needs an urgent prescription.
A Sesame Plus membership may be worthwhile for people who expect to use Sesame services regularly. It may particularly benefit people seeking healthcare without insurance plans.
Sesame Plus membership costs $10.99 monthly or $99 annually and gives members a $10 discount on all virtual and in-person healthcare visits. It also provides members with a free lab or blood test.
Sesame Care is a telehealth company that provides low cost appointments with healthcare professionals. It may suit people without insurance or those who want same-day appointments.
It offers various services, including mental health counseling, weight loss support, erectile dysfunction assessments, and more.
Customer reviews are generally positive, though some people have experienced issues with specific healthcare providers and customer support.