Amwell Online Therapy Services Reviewed

In This Article

Amwell is a telemedicine company that allows patients from all over the United States to instantly access real, board-certified medical professionals, 24/7 all from their phone. No crowded waiting rooms, no waiting for days to get an appointment and no driving through traffic to see a doctor.

Among the services they provide is online therapy for treating a variety of mental health conditions. We took a close look at their therapy offering to understand how they compare with the other leading online therapy providers.

Company Profile:

Amwell, or American Well, is a 24/7 online telemedicine service that patients can access from their web browser or from the company’s smartphone app. They are the nation’s largest telehealth company. This healthcare service treats common non-emergency but urgent care conditions all for a set fee per visit. The price of these appointments is designed to be a fraction of the cost of a standard emergency room visit (and not much higher than the average co-pay).

According to Amwell, they designed their services for those who have trouble fitting a doctor’s appointment into their schedule, are unsure if they should go to the emergency room or not, and those who want to see their doctor but have found their office is closed. Amwell is also set up to help those who need a second opinion, don’t have insurance or who simply need advice from a family member or loved one.

Pricing

There is a set fee for therapy visits at Amwell. Of course, depending on your coverage, your insurance company may cover all or some of this visit. The standard rate for those without insurance is between $109 and $129 per session, which typically lasts 45 minutes.

Signup Process

If you are ready to be treated by one of Amwell’s professionals, signing up is easy. You can start by either visiting their desktop site at amwell.com or by downloading their app on your smartphone. When you are ready to schedule your doctor’s visit, here’s how the process works.

• Fill out the prompt form and let Amwell know if you have insurance. You do not need to have an insurance provider in order to use this service.
• Once you have let Amwell know about your current insurance plan, you simply need to create an account by entering some basic contact information and to create a profile with the company.
• You will also be asked if your employer has a Service Key. There are many companies that offer free or discounted care through Amwell as part of their benefits package.
• You are then taken to a page where you can choose what type of services you are interested in; there is also an option to access the website in Spanish.

Registering through the site or through the app is simple and only takes a few minutes. Once you have registered through Amwell and chosen the area of specialty you are interested in, you can quickly make an appointment right away or schedule an appointment later on at a time that works for you.

Signing up only takes minutes and you can choose your doctor when you sign up for an appointment.

Just like any other appointment with a medical professional, during your visit, your provider will talk to you about your medical history, your symptoms and perform an exam through the video platform. Your doctor may also recommend treatment, including prescription medications or lab work during your visit.

Usability

Amwell is designed with usability in mind. Signing up takes minutes and the entire process was created to be simple and streamlined. Their app and their desktop site are both easy-to-navigate and use prompts to make sure that you are following along and getting where you need to.

Once you’ve signed up, you can schedule a session with the simple press of a button. If you know how to use Zoom or Skype, you’ll have no problem learning how to use their video platform. There are, of course, customer service representatives available should you have any issues.

When you are done with your appointment, you will be prompted to leave a review and provide feedback on your experience. This will not only help the company make sure that their providers are offering excellent care, but it will help other future patients as well.

For users who don’t have a smartphone or computer, the company also has a direct line that will connect you with a doctor through phone, if necessary. You can call the company at 1-844-SEE-DOCS.

Counselor Qualifications

The most important part of Amwell is the medical professionals behind this company. Amwell has taken the time to choose highly-qualified, experienced therapists for their platform. All their providers are either doctoral level psychologists or master’s level therapists.

Confidentiality

Like any quality company that works with health records, Amwell is serious about patient privacy. The company is fully HIPPA compliant. The website also has a number of encryption and security measures on their website so that you can rest assured knowing that your information is safe and secure whenever you provide data through the website.

Specialties and Areas of Expertise:

If you are interested in mental health services, Amwell has trained and licensed psychiatrists and psychologists. They are available to help in the following areas:

• Anxiety
• Stress
• Depression
• Postpartum Depression
• Miscarriage Loss
• Family and Relationships
• Bipolar Disorder
• Fatigue
• Dysthymia
• Mood Swings
• Grief
• Addiction
• Trauma
• PTSD
• Insomnia
• Panic Attacks
• Schizophrenia
• Psychosis

Bottom Line

Amwell is not only the among the largest telehealth companies in America, but one of the most highly-rated. Thanks to their dedicated staff of professionals, patients from all over the country can quickly and easily get the care they need without having to drive to an office. While they do accept insurance, if you are not covered, you will be paying more for Amwell than with most other providers, despite not be able to communicate with your therapist via chat. This makes Amwell an option we recommend only if you are covered by insurance.