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Sesame is an online telemedicine platform where Americans can book and pay for treatment sessions directly through the provider, with transparent pricing. While this might be a less expensive option for other people without a fitness insurance policy or with a high deductible, you may find that a therapist’s options in some markets are limited.
Realizing that the deductibles many Americans pay are sometimes too high for them to meet in any given year, Michael Botta, a health economist, and David Goldhill, a former media executive, teamed up with John Fontein, an entrepreneur. Together, the three founded the online platform Sesame to provide health care with straightforward, transparent pricing.
“The idea of Sesame is to create a true physical care market and target it to Americans who care about the cost of their physical care,” Botta says.
Sesame has treated thousands of patients since its launch and claims to have saved them more than $10 million in overall healthcare costs, says Michael DiLorenzo, Sesame’s chief marketing officer.
Sesame is an online telemedicine platform that provides emergency care, skincare, women’s and men’s fitness, wellness and prevention, sexual fitness remedy options, and much more, in addition to intellectual conditioning.
When it comes to therapy, Sésame allows you to make appointments directly with therapists. You can sign up for a subscription or find a doctor and pay for the individual consultation by submitting your credit card information. Instead of billing your insurance company, Sesame charges a flat fee for each appointment. The company will provide you with an invoice that you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. You can also use your insurance to pay for prescriptions that your Sesame provider sends to your pharmacy.
You can book a one-time visit with a therapist, or sign up for the subscription service, Sesame Plus. With Sesame Plus, you’ll pay $10.99 a month, or $99 annually, saving $20 off virtual visits and $30 off specialty in-person visits. Prices for individual visits to Sesame providers start at as low as $19, but vary depending on the type of provider and your location.
Some mental health providers offer only virtual therapy, while others do a hybrid of online and in-person care. The difference between Sesame and some other online telemedicine sites is that the patient has more control, says Botta. “They’re always able to select who they want to see, and they always know what they’re going to pay.”
Sesame also offers providers in other specialties, such as dermatology, dentistry, pediatrics and family medicine. The site has more than 10,000 providers in its network, providing services in more than 80 specialties nationwide. By typing in your location, you will get a list of all the therapists and doctors available in your area.
The average charge for an intellectual fitness appointment at Sesame in February 2023 is $45, DiLorenzo notes, which drops from $20 to $30 with a Sesame Plus subscription. However, some visits can charge upwards of $100, depending on the therapist and their location. Subscription pricing is $10. 99 per month or $99 per year.
You can’t bill your insurance company for treatment sessions. However, the cash payment rates at Sesame are lower than what you’d spend if you had a maximum deductible or copay with fitness insurance, according to the company. And Sesame will provide you with an invoice that you can submit to your insurance for reimbursement.
The platform also offers recipes. Sesame-based drugs charge $5 for a 30-day supply. Examples of $5 FP prescriptions include escitalopram (generic Lexapro), duloxetine DR (Cymbalta), and fluoxetine (Prozac). This covers new and refilled prescriptions and comes with loose shipping. .
While Sesame is available in all 50 states, the number of available treatment providers varies greatly by geographic location, as therapists will need to be licensed in the state in which they practice, even virtually. According to Botta, Sesame is working to increase the number of suppliers on its platform.
Also, canceling a Sesame Plus subscription isn’t as undeniable as clicking on a link. You can cancel up to 48 hours before your subscription is renewed, but you want to email or call visitor support and wait for them to respond, which happens inside. 24 hours.
The merit of Sesame is that it can make the procedure less difficult and faster with a therapist, according to Emily Guarnotta, Psy. D. , a clinical psychologist who practices in New York City and South Carolina. “If you buy insurance, the providers [are usually] full and have long waiting lists,” he says. “If you have a platform for someone to book an appointment electronically online, with no waiting list, I think which reduces time and reduces patient tension.
Sesame has advantages for therapists, too. “Signing on with a platform means they’re not going to have to deal with billing or administrative aspects. They’re not going to have to deal with some of the overhead, like the marketing fees that they’d have to put into getting clients [on their own],” says Dr. Guarnotta. “It allows them to focus on clinical care.”
One of the disadvantages is that other people who live in markets where there are few therapists have few options. “[You may not] feel like you can find the provider that best fits your needs,” she adds. “Some other people have personal needs. ” tastes for certain genres, origins and degrees of education. You should feel comfortable with the therapist you are seeing.
I signed up for Sesame Plus, but unfortunately, I had no luck in finding a therapist on the platform. Only two of their therapists practice in my area—one is a clinical psychologist and the other a licensed clinical social worker. I booked an appointment with the social worker, but she was a no-show. Then I made an appointment with the psychologist, who promptly called to tell me that she would have to cancel our session because she was leaving Sesame. I made another appointment with the social worker, who again didn’t show up for our session.
My consultations were much more expensive than Sesame advertises: $135 for a first consultation with the social worker and $175 for the psychologist (subsequent consultations are cheaper). Since you have to pay upfront with Sesame, I was afraid that I would have to pay the bill for consultations that hadn’t been made. But every time I contacted visitor service, the rep was very responsive. Within 24 hours, I received a refund.
My experience with absent therapists may not be unique. Some Sesame users have also expressed frustration with the fact that providers don’t show up for scheduled appointments on Trustpilot. “For the third time, I’m online and the doctor isn’t. ” wrote one user. I didn’t go on my first date,” said another.
Overall, though, the majority of Trustpilot’s reviews have been positive, earning the company a total of 4. 3 out of five stars, out of over 900 reviews. One user enthusiastically claimed that their intellectual fitness provider is “thoughtful, intelligent, and insightful. “It provides the right tools, answers, and approaches.
Because I live in a domain with few therapists, I didn’t have the best luck with Sesame. For those interested in hunting Sesame, first make sure there are therapists available in your domain, as finding a carrier is vital. in a timely manner when you want intellectual fitness treatment. You can do this by searching the company’s list of suppliers before signing up.
The data provided on Forbes Health is for educational purposes only. Your fitness and well-being are unique to you, and the products and facilities we review may not be right for you. We do not offer individual medical advice, diagnosis, or remedy. Plans. For personalized advice, consult a fitness professional.
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