Doctor on Demand was founded in 2012 and merged with Grand Rounds in 2021 to form Included Health, a virtual-first care company that now serves enterprise clients alongside the consumer-facing Doctor on Demand brand. Among the four major insurance-billing telehealth platforms — Teladoc, MDLive, Amwell, Doctor on Demand — Doctor on Demand has historically had the strongest behavioral health depth and the best user experience reviews, though the platform’s positioning has shifted toward enterprise virtual care since the merger. This doctor on demand review covers 2026 pricing, the platform’s behavioral health offering, insurance acceptance, and how it compares to the other major telehealth platforms.
How Doctor on Demand works
Doctor on Demand operates a network of board-certified physicians, psychiatrists, and psychologists providing urgent care, behavioral health, and preventive care via video. Most visits run through insurance, with cash-pay access as a secondary option. The platform’s clinical model is on-demand for urgent care and appointment-based for mental health and preventive visits.
The clinician network is meaningfully different from competitors in one specific way: Doctor on Demand emphasizes employed and contracted clinicians who work primarily through the platform, rather than clinicians who do telehealth as a side gig. This produces somewhat more consistent clinical quality and longer visits in our experience and in independent reviews. For broader telehealth context, see our telehealth guide.
Doctor on Demand pricing in 2026
In-network insurance pricing follows standard plan copays: typically $0-50 for urgent visits, $0-90 for therapy, and $0-200 for psychiatry depending on plan design. The platform accepts most major commercial insurance and is included as a $0 copay benefit in many employer-sponsored plans, particularly those offered by large national employers.
Cash-pay rates are $79 for medical visits (15 minutes), $129 for extended visits (30 minutes), $129 for therapy, $299 for an initial psychiatry evaluation, and $129 for psychiatry follow-ups. The 30-minute extended visit option is unusual in telehealth — most platforms cap visits at 10-15 minutes. For chronic disease management or complex acute issues, the longer visit is genuinely useful. Compared to Sesame, cash pricing is roughly 2-3x higher, similar to other insurance-billing platforms.
Doctor on Demand behavioral health
Behavioral health is Doctor on Demand’s strongest category and one of the reasons the platform earned a strong reputation pre-merger. The therapy network includes licensed clinical psychologists, LCSWs, and LPCs, with matching by specialty area, modality (CBT, DBT, EMDR, ACT), gender, and identity factors. Therapy sessions are typically 45-50 minutes, longer than most competitors.
Psychiatry includes initial evaluations and ongoing medication management. Psychiatrists prescribe the standard range of antidepressants, mood stabilizers, anti-anxiety medications, and sleep aids. Schedule II ADHD stimulants follow current DEA telemedicine rules, with refills sometimes possible for established prescriptions and new stimulant starts often requiring an in-person visit. For dedicated mental health platforms with different trade-offs, see Talkspace, BetterHelp, Brightside Health, and Cerebral, plus our Talkspace vs BetterHelp comparison.
Doctor on Demand for general medical care
General medical urgent care covers the standard telehealth use cases: cold/flu, allergies, sinus infections, UTIs, COVID-19, prescription refills, minor injuries, rashes, and acute mental health crises. Visits are 15-30 minutes, with the 30-minute option useful for patients with multiple issues or chronic disease components.
The clinical quality is among the best of the major insurance-billing platforms. Independent reviews consistently rate Doctor on Demand highly on visit length, clinician engagement, and follow-up communication. Where the platform falls short is the same gap as competitors: no continuity of care assignment for primary care, no integrated lab ordering or imaging in most cases, and limited specialty access. For ongoing primary care, PlushCare remains structurally better.
Doctor on Demand and Included Health
The 2021 merger with Grand Rounds created Included Health, which now positions itself as a comprehensive virtual care navigator for employer health plans. Included Health offers care coordination, virtual primary care, second opinion services, and specialty navigation alongside the consumer-facing Doctor on Demand brand. For most patients, the two are accessed separately; large employers offering Included Health often include Doctor on Demand as one component of a broader benefits package.
The merger has also shifted Included Health’s focus toward enterprise contracts, with less emphasis on direct-to-consumer marketing. Doctor on Demand still accepts individual visits, but the platform is no longer pursuing growth in the standalone consumer market the way it did pre-merger.
Where Doctor on Demand falls short
Three meaningful weaknesses. First, the cash-pay pricing is uncompetitive compared to Sesame Care for patients without insurance. Second, the platform’s primary care offering is thinner than dedicated alternatives — patients seeking a longitudinal relationship with one clinician should look at PlushCare or virtual-first primary care services. Third, specialty access is limited to behavioral health and general medicine; dermatology, endocrinology, cardiology, and other specialties are generally not available through Doctor on Demand directly.
The user interface and mobile app are good, but the platform’s reduced consumer-facing investment post-merger has produced occasional gaps in the experience compared to competitors investing more aggressively in direct-to-consumer features.
Doctor on Demand vs Teladoc, Amwell, and MDLive
Compared to Teladoc, Doctor on Demand has better behavioral health depth and longer visits but a smaller overall network. Teladoc’s scale advantage is real for general medical urgent care; Doctor on Demand’s quality advantage is more pronounced in mental health.
Compared to Amwell, Doctor on Demand has stronger consumer-facing positioning and better behavioral health, while Amwell has stronger health system integration. Compared to MDLive, the two are similar in pricing and clinical model. See our detailed Doctor on Demand vs Teladoc and Amwell vs Doctor on Demand head-to-heads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my insurance cover Doctor on Demand?
Most major commercial insurers cover Doctor on Demand at standard copays. Coverage varies by plan — check with your insurer before scheduling. Many large employers include Doctor on Demand as a $0 copay benefit.
Is Doctor on Demand still operating after the merger?
Yes. Doctor on Demand continues to operate as the consumer-facing brand of Included Health. Visits are accepted directly through the Doctor on Demand app and website.
How long are Doctor on Demand visits?
Standard urgent care visits are 15 minutes; extended visits are 30 minutes ($129 cash-pay vs $79 standard). Therapy visits are 45-50 minutes. Psychiatry initial evaluations are typically 45-60 minutes; follow-ups are 15-25 minutes.
Does Doctor on Demand prescribe controlled substances?
Limited Schedule III-IV prescribing is available; Schedule II prescribing follows current DEA telemedicine rules with most new stimulant prescriptions requiring an in-person visit first.
How does Doctor on Demand compare to Teladoc?
Doctor on Demand has stronger behavioral health depth and longer visit times. Teladoc has a larger network and broader insurance acceptance. For mental health, Doctor on Demand is often preferred; for general urgent care, the two are largely equivalent.
The bottom line on Doctor on Demand
Doctor on Demand is the strongest insurance-billing telehealth platform for behavioral health, with longer visits, better clinician engagement, and a more thoughtful matching process than competitors. For general medical urgent care, the platform is solid but interchangeable with Teladoc and Amwell. For cash-pay patients, the pricing is uncompetitive — Sesame Care delivers similar quality at a third of the cost. Use Doctor on Demand when your insurance covers it, particularly for mental health needs where the platform’s depth genuinely outperforms the alternatives.