Quick comparison (cash, estimate)
- • Sesame from ~$29–$37
- • Amazon from $29 / $49 video
- • Teladoc $89
- • PlushCare $129 cash
- • Chains ~$120–$350 / visit
- • + x-ray or stitches $250–$500
- • GoHealth virtual $75–$200
- • See the urgent-care guide
- • Solv: ~$1,000–$2,500 uninsured
- • UHG analysis: ~$2,032 vs $193 UC
- • Never skip for a true emergency
Book a posted cash visit
These are the brands already in the VitalityScout directory. Confirm the live price for your state — marketplace and membership rates move.
Sesame
Cash-pay marketplace. Providers set posted rates; no insurance billed. Sesame Plus ($10.99/mo or $99/yr) takes $10 off visits. Verify the live listing for your ZIP.
PlushCare
Board-certified physicians, same-day slots. Optional $19.99/mo membership. Insured patients often pay a copay instead. Meds and labs extra.
Lemonaid Health
Cheap one-off consult plus meds, or a $99/month primary-care membership with no per-visit fee. Confirm current consult and membership prices.
What this guide covers
“See a doctor online” is not one product. It is a $29 message visit for pink eye, a $129 ongoing-primary-care slot, and a $89 24/7 urgent video — sitting next to a $140 walk-in that can actually stitch a cut. This guide prices the cash telehealth brands already in our directory and stacks them against the urgent-care ranges we already publish, so you do not buy the wrong door.
When to use cash telehealth vs in-person
Telehealth is usually enough for
- • Sinus infection, UTI, pink eye, cold/flu questions
- • Medication refills a clinician is willing to continue
- • Rash or acne that can be assessed by photo or video
- • A primary-care question that does not need a physical exam
- • After-hours care when urgent care is closed and it is not an emergency
Drive in (or call 911) for
- • Cuts that may need stitches, suspected fracture, sprain you cannot walk on
- • Anything that needs an x-ray, rapid strep/flu plus a hands-on exam
- • Abdominal pain, high fever in an infant, dehydration you cannot keep down
- • Chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, severe bleeding — ER, not an app
If you are unsure, start with the more conservative door. A $29 video visit that sends you to urgent care anyway is still cheaper than guessing wrong at the ER. For the in-person price ladder, use our urgent care cost without insurance guide.
Published cash visit prices (as of September 4, 2026)
Figures below are drawn from each brand’s published pricing or from VitalityScout provider profiles last verified in 2026. Marketplace rates vary by clinician and ZIP. Confirm the number you will actually be charged.
| Service | Published cash price | Model | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sesame virtual / acute care | From ~$29–$37; Plus advertises as low as $37 | Pay-per-visit marketplace; no insurance | Sesame |
| Amazon One Medical On-Demand | $29 message / $49 video | Pay-per-visit; 30+ common conditions | Amazon |
| GoodRx Care | $19 with Gold / $49 standard | Visit + coupon engine; Gold is extra | GoodRx |
| Lemonaid one-off consult | ~$25 + medication | A la carte; $99/mo primary care is separate | Lemonaid |
| Teladoc general medical | $89 / visit | 24/7 self-pay urgent; primary care is insured/employer | Teladoc |
| Doctor On Demand | From $99 / 15-min uninsured | No membership; video with MD/NP | Doctor On Demand |
| PlushCare cash visit | $129 + optional $19.99/mo | MD visits; bills insurance if you have it | PlushCare |
| In-person urgent care | $120–$350 visit; $250–$500 with add-ons | Chain self-pay (GoHealth, AFC) — not a telehealth brand | UC guide |
The pattern: marketplace and message visits (Sesame, Amazon, GoodRx, Lemonaid) occupy the $19–$49 band. Brand-name 24/7 video (Teladoc, Doctor On Demand) sits near $89–$99. Relationship primary care (PlushCare cash, Lemonaid membership) is a different product — you are buying follow-up, not a one-off script.
What a cash telehealth visit includes
- Usually included: the clinician encounter (video, phone, or asynchronous message) and a decision to treat, refer, or send you in-person.
- Often included: a prescription sent to a retail pharmacy if the clinician decides it is appropriate.
- Almost never included: the medication itself, blood work, imaging, specialist follow-up, or a procedure.
- Membership extras: Sesame Plus ($10.99/mo or $99/yr) takes $10 off visits and includes one free lab per year per their membership page. PlushCare’s $19.99/mo is messaging and discounts, not the $129 visit. Lemonaid’s $99/mo primary care is unlimited visits with no per-visit fee.
Do the membership math on paper
One Sesame visit at $37 is cheaper than PlushCare’s $129. Three PlushCare cash visits in a year ($387) plus membership can still beat three uninsured urgent-care visits with labs. Price the next twelve months, not the first click.
Limitations
- No hands, no film. A virtual visit cannot x-ray, suture, drain an abscess, or reduce a joint.
- State licensing. The clinician has to be licensed where you are sitting. Availability varies; some platforms exclude a handful of states.
- Controlled substances and complex psych. Many cash platforms will not prescribe controlled meds or manage bipolar, ADHD, or schizophrenia online.
- Quality varies on marketplaces. Sesame’s pitch is that you pick the provider and see the price. That also means credentials and bedside manner are not one brand standard.
- It is not your chart. A one-off visit does not automatically update your primary-care record. Download the after-visit summary.
Vs urgent care and the ER
The urgent-care cost guide is the in-person comparator this page is built against:
- GoHealth publishes $120–$160 in New York and $200–$235 in Virginia for an exam plus one instant lab, and $275–$350 with a procedure. Some markets list a $75 virtual visit; Virginia virtual is $200 — not automatically cheaper.
- AFC Roxborough posts a $140 simple visit; add-ons (x-ray $75, CBC $70, laceration $75–$190) are what blow the bill up.
- Solv’s typical self-pay urgent-care visit is $150–$280; visit plus x-ray $250–$500.
- Uninsured ER for common conditions: Solv $1,000–$2,500. UnitedHealth Group’s 2018 insured analysis: $2,032 ER vs $193 urgent care for ten primary-care-treatable conditions — the shape of the gap still holds.
So the cash decision is usually: ~$30–$90 telehealth if a camera is enough, ~$120–$350 urgent care if you need hands or a machine, ER if it is an emergency. For the rest of the cash-pay map — labs, GLP-1s, TRT, surgery — see the cash-pay healthcare map.
Which platform to pick
- Lowest posted one-off: Sesame or Amazon On-Demand (or GoodRx Care if you already have Gold).
- 24/7 brand-name video: Teladoc at $89, or Doctor On Demand from $99.
- Ongoing primary care with an MD: PlushCare ($129 cash or an insured copay) or Lemonaid’s $99/month plan.
- Need an x-ray or stitches today: skip the app and use the urgent-care guide.
Compare the cash telehealth brands on this page
Open the official site for the live ZIP-level price, or the VitalityScout profile for services and our take.
Sesame
Cash-pay marketplace. Providers set posted rates; no insurance billed. Sesame Plus ($10.99/mo or $99/yr) takes $10 off visits. Verify the live listing for your ZIP.
PlushCare
Board-certified physicians, same-day slots. Optional $19.99/mo membership. Insured patients often pay a copay instead. Meds and labs extra.
Lemonaid Health
Cheap one-off consult plus meds, or a $99/month primary-care membership with no per-visit fee. Confirm current consult and membership prices.
Amazon One Medical
On-Demand Care for 30+ common conditions. No membership required for pay-per-visit. One Medical membership is a separate primary-care product.
Teladoc Health
24/7 self-pay general medical visits at a published $89. Longer-term primary care on Teladoc is typically insurance/employer, not cash.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a cash-pay telehealth visit cost in 2026?▼
Published self-pay prices span about $19 to $129 depending on the brand and whether you buy a membership. As of September 4, 2026, Sesame’s marketplace lists acute/virtual visits from the high $20s to high $30s (Sesame Plus advertises visits as low as $37; Costco partnership copy has advertised $29 virtual primary care). Amazon One Medical On-Demand publishes message care from $29 and video from $49. Teladoc lists self-pay general medical / urgent care at $89. PlushCare charges $129 per cash visit plus an optional $19.99/month membership. Lemonaid advertises one-off consults around $25 plus medication. These are published estimates — confirm the live checkout price before you book.
Is a virtual doctor cheaper than urgent care without insurance?▼
Usually, for problems that do not need hands, an x-ray, or stitches. Cash telehealth published in this guide runs about $29–$129 per visit. The VitalityScout urgent-care cost guide cites chain self-pay visits of $120–$350 (GoHealth $120–$160 in New York for an exam plus one instant lab, $275–$350 with a procedure; AFC Roxborough $140 simple visit). Add an x-ray or laceration repair and urgent care can land $250–$500. Telehealth cannot replace that visit. If you need imaging or a procedure, budget the in-person number.
When should I use cash telehealth instead of urgent care or the ER?▼
Use cash telehealth for straightforward, non-emergency problems a video or message visit can handle: a UTI, sinus infection, pink eye, medication refill, rash photos, or a primary-care question. Use in-person urgent care when you need an exam you cannot do on camera, an x-ray, stitches, a splint, or a rapid in-house test. Use the ER for chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, severe bleeding, a suspected fracture with deformity, or any symptom that feels like an emergency. Cost is never a reason to skip the ER. UnitedHealth Group’s older analysis put common primary-care-treatable conditions at about $2,032 in an ER vs $193 at urgent care; Solv estimates uninsured ER visits for common conditions at $1,000–$2,500.
What is included in a Sesame or PlushCare cash visit?▼
A typical cash telehealth visit includes the clinician encounter (video, phone, or message) and, if appropriate, a prescription sent to a pharmacy. Labs, imaging, and the medication itself are almost always extra. Sesame is a marketplace: each provider sets a posted cash price and Sesame does not bill insurance. PlushCare bills $129 cash per visit (or an insured copay) and sells an optional $19.99/month membership for messaging and discounts — the membership is not the visit. Confirm what your specific booking includes before you pay.
Do I need a membership to see a cash-pay online doctor?▼
No. Sesame, Amazon On-Demand, Teladoc, Doctor On Demand, and GoodRx Care all sell pay-per-visit care. Memberships (Sesame Plus $10.99/month or $99/year; PlushCare $19.99/month; Lemonaid $99/month primary care) only make sense if you will visit more than once or want messaging and discounted labs. Price the first visit as a one-off, then do the membership math.
Can a cash telehealth doctor prescribe antibiotics or refill my meds?▼
Often yes for common, guideline-supported cases — if the clinician decides it is appropriate after reviewing your history. Controlled substances, some psychiatric meds, and anything that needs an in-person exam are commonly excluded. Prescription cost is separate from the visit fee. This is information, not medical advice; a licensed clinician has to decide whether a prescription is safe for you.
Compare cash-pay telehealth and local care
Virtual visits, GLP-1s, labs, and men’s health — or the urgent-care price guide if you need to drive.
Related resources
Sources & references
- • Sesame — cash-pay marketplace
- • Sesame Plus — $10.99/mo or $99/yr, $10 off visits
- • PlushCare membership — $129 cash visit, $19.99/mo
- • Amazon One Medical On-Demand
- • Teladoc Health
- • Lemonaid Health
- • VitalityScout — Urgent care cost without insurance (GoHealth, AFC, Solv, UHG ER comparison)