MDLIVE Review: Features, Benefits, Costs, and More

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Telemedicine is virtual healthcare delivered online, and it can make it easier to get help for medical and mental health symptoms from the security and comfort of your own home.

Still, you might find yourself juggling multiple telehealth platforms if you need care for both physical and behavioral health concerns.

MDLIVE aims to provide a comprehensive platform where you can connect with a doctor, physician, therapist, or psychiatrist.

We’ve taken an in-depth look at MDLIVE’s healthcare options and summarized them for you below, including information about how the service works, conditions treated, cost, insurance coverage, and more.

MDLIVE is a virtual clinic for nonemergency medical and mental health symptoms. It offers 24/7 care, including necessary prescriptions, for a wide variety of concerns. You can get urgent care for acute cases of the flu, pink eye, or vaginal yeast infections.

Its dermatology services can help with nonemergency hair, skin, and nail concerns, such as acne, cold sores, and warts. Primary care addresses nonurgent medical concerns, such as type 2 diabetes, asthma, and high blood pressure.

In terms of mental health, MDLIVE professionals offer support for several conditions, including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders. For medication options, you can make an appointment with a psychiatrist.

You can also use the service to get help coping with life stress and other emotional concerns that may not necessarily represent a mental health diagnosis, such as grief or loss, relationship challenges, workplace burnout, parental or caregiving support, and trauma or abuse recovery.

If setting up an appointment with a doctor doesn’t seem necessary or is a barrier to getting care, MDLIVE E-Treatment may be a good option. It provides asynchronous, talk-free access to urgent care with board certified doctors.

You can sign up for MDLIVE using your computer, tablet, or smartphone. From your computer, go to the MDLIVE homepage and click “Create Account.” If opting for the mobile version, you can download the app at:

• Google Play
• the App Store

The registration process will ask you to fill in basic information, such as your name, date of birth, insurance details, and any existing health conditions. Then, you’ll be asked to describe the health concerns bringing you to MDLIVE.

The process for accessing treatment varies slightly depending on the type of service you’re looking for:

Mental health services

Choose from a wide selection of licensed mental health professionals, including clinical social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists. You’ll be able to review their credentials and profile. Then, you can schedule an appointment with them.

Urgent care

If you need urgent care, MDLIVE claims they can put you in touch with a doctor in 15 minutes or less. Or you can schedule a time that works for you. You can also choose your healthcare professional from a list of board certified, state licensed doctors.

Primary care

For wellness screenings, you’ll be asked to complete a brief health risk assessment and then go get lab work done. You can choose your board certified MDLIVE doctor and see the same doctor for future appointments. The doctor will review your lab work and discuss any health needs or concerns with you during your screening.

In the case of routine care and chronic condition management, you’ll start by answering a few questions about the care you need. You can then choose an MDLIVE doctor and schedule your appointment, where they will review your treatment plan and start tracking your progress. Your doctor may prescribe a digital health coaching program to help you manage a chronic condition.

Dermatology

Diagnosing and treating skin issues virtually usually requires photos, so in addition to providing a brief medical history and describing your symptoms, you’ll be asked to upload photos of the condition for which you’re seeking treatment.

Within 72 hours, you’ll receive a diagnosis and treatment plan, including any necessary prescriptions, from a board certified dermatologist. If you have additional questions, you can submit a message to your dermatologist for up to 30 days after your appointment.

In all cases, the medical professionals you meet with online will discuss your symptoms and provide a reliable diagnosis and treatment plan. Prescriptions can be sent to your preferred pharmacy. They can even write up and share a summary of your visit with your local doctor at your request. Note that if you don’t have insurance, you’ll be prompted to pay at the time you schedule your appointment.

To access the E-Treatment option, make sure you are logged in and then select “E-Treatment.” First, answer a health assessment about your symptoms. A doctor will review this and provide you with a diagnosis and treatment plan, including prescriptions, if appropriate. If the doctor feels your condition requires a virtual or in-person visit, they’ll let you know.

It’s possible that your insurance will cover the total cost of your MDLIVE care, but your copay and coverage will vary greatly depending on your insurance plan. MDLIVE accepts insurance from a number of plans, including Regence, Cigna, Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Independence, and AvMed.

It’s also possible to use HSA or FSA funds to cover your MDLIVE visit. Even if you don’t have insurance, the cost for MDLIVE is, in many cases, less than in-person healthcare. The cost without insurance varies based on the type of appointment.

To connect with a therapist, you’ll pay $108 for each therapy session lasting 45 to 60 minutes. An initial 15- to 30-minute consultation with a psychiatrist costs $284, and $108 for a shorter follow-up appointment. Urgent care appointments will cost you $85, and dermatology appointments are $95.

MDLIVE earns mostly high ratings from reviewers.

• On Google Play, the service averages 4.6 stars from over 14,600 reviews
• On the App Store, the service averages 4.7 stars from over 87,000 reviews.

Some reviewers report issues like:

• long wait times for appointments
• technical issues and bugs that make it difficult to use the service
• cancellations from therapists with no notice
• negative experiences with their therapists

Some people mention that scheduling ongoing appointments with the same therapist can be something of a challenge, unless you can book those appointments as soon as you finish your session.

For the most part, though, people report positive experiences with treatment. They call their therapists helpful, knowledgeable, and caring.

MDLIVE did not get high marks on the Better Business Bureau website, where it received 1 out of 5 stars from 78 people reviewing the service. Those who left comments reported issues such as dismissive doctors who didn’t resolve their issues and problems with billing or insurance coverage.

In 2022, Healthline conducted a survey of 12 of the most popular online therapy platforms, including MDLIVE. We found that MDLIVE received high general satisfaction ratings, with 85% of users reporting that they received “excellent” or “good” value from the service.

In addition, 88% of users thought their therapist understood their needs “very well” or “somewhat well.” Not all the statistics were quite as glowing, though — only 55% of MDLIVE users reported they would recommend the service to others. This most likely had to do with dissatisfaction with their individual therapists, rather than issues with the platform more generally.

While online therapy may not work well for everyone, it can have a lot of benefits for some people. This is especially true if you find it tough to schedule or keep in-person appointments. Flexible appointment times that don’t require you to leave home add convenience, especially when you’re not feeling well.

In terms of mental health support, teletherapy can offer a few key benefits, such as increasing your access to mental health professionals and making therapy more affordable.

MDLIVE is a good option if you’re dealing with everyday life challenges, such as work stress or financial concerns, or ongoing concerns like depression, anxiety, or addiction. Some therapists are available who specialize in couples counseling for those seeking support with relationship concerns.

One 2017 review considered 25 different studies on telemental health treatment approaches. Researchers found evidence to suggest options for online therapy and psychiatric care could provide affordable, adaptable, and efficient treatment for people in need of support.

MDLIVE’s urgent care services can address nearly 100 different types of medical issues, from bladder infections to hives to sinus issues. Primary care services allow you to get annual checkups without leaving home, as well as ongoing care for conditions such as asthma and high cholesterol.

If you have acne, keratosis, dermatitis, or more acute skin infections, you can get treatment quickly using MDLIVE’s dermatology services. This is helpful, as in-person dermatology appointments can take an especially long time to schedule.

Yet MDLIVE cannot help treat certain mental and physical health conditions. It will not work for you if you have moderate or severe autism, ADHD, symptoms of psychosis, thoughts of self-harm or suicide, or any mental health conditions with symptoms severe enough to keep you from participating in regular activities.

These conditions are better addressed in person, where a live medical professional can give you a diagnosis or recommend a treatment plan that can better serve the particularities of your condition. Note that MDLIVE will not provide mental healthcare to children younger than 10 years old.

In the case of urgent care, it’s important to keep in mind that if you’re experiencing an emergency or crisis situation of any kind, you should go to your local emergency department. Emergency situations not only have higher risk factors, but they also often require hands-on care or professional tools that you won’t have access to at home. For primary care, adults and minors under the age of 18 can be seen with parent or guardian consent.

Conditions that MDLIVE does not provide care for include broken bones, significant bleeding, heart attack, sexually transmitted infections, urinary tract infections in males of all ages or in females under age 18 years, routine or severe cases of diabetes, or HIV.

MDLIVE is also legally limited in what its doctors can prescribe. They cannot prescribe controlled substances, including stimulant medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or benzodiazepines for anxiety or panic disorder.

They also cannot prescribe medical cannabis, sleep medication, detox medications, or lifestyle medication (such as for erectile dysfunction or hair loss). See the full list of the medications MEDLIVE is unable to prescribe.

Online medical care simply can’t meet every mental or physical health need. MDLIVE’s professionals are there to help you determine when you need in-person support.