A typical telehealth visit costs between $0 and $75 with insurance, or roughly $40 to $130 out of pocket without it. That’s consistently less than in-person care, though the exact price depends on the type of visit, whether you use insurance, and which platform or provider you choose.
Telehealth vs. In-Person: The Price Gap
Virtual visits cost less than office visits across the board. A large study of commercially insured patients published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that average out-of-pocket costs were $23.80 per telehealth encounter compared to $32.70 for an in-person outpatient visit. Total payments (what you and your insurer pay combined) were $113 for telehealth versus $161 for in-person care.
The savings come from lower facility fees and shorter encounter times. Providers don’t need to maintain an exam room for your visit, and that overhead difference gets passed along. You also save on gas, parking, and the time cost of sitting in a waiting room.
What You’ll Pay Without Insurance
If you’re paying out of pocket, general telehealth visits typically fall in the $40 to $130 range. NYU Langone, for example, charges up to $126 for a virtual urgent care visit without insurance. Direct-to-consumer platforms tend to be cheaper: Sesame Care lists same-day doctor visits starting at $34 and urgent care visits from $37, with prices varying by location.
Sesame also offers a membership called Sesame Plus for $10.99 per month (or $99 per year) that unlocks discounted rates across appointments. If you expect to use telehealth regularly and don’t have insurance, a subscription model like this can cut per-visit costs significantly.
Specialty visits cost more. Virtual dermatology consultations through app-based services generally run $40 to $99. Psychiatry is pricier still: without insurance, expect to pay around $299 for an initial psychiatric appointment that includes diagnosis and a prescription, then about $175 for follow-up visits every three months.
What You’ll Pay With Insurance
Most commercial insurance plans now cover telehealth visits the same way they cover in-person care, meaning you pay your usual copay or coinsurance. For a primary care telehealth visit, that’s often $20 to $35. Some plans have even lower copays for virtual visits as an incentive to steer members toward cheaper care.
If you have Medicare, telehealth is covered under Part B. You’re responsible for 20% coinsurance after meeting your deductible, which works out similarly to what you’d pay for an in-person office visit. The telehealth originating site facility fee for 2026 is capped at $31.85 before coinsurance, so the administrative costs on Medicare’s side remain low.
One thing to watch: not every telehealth platform accepts every insurance plan. If your plan isn’t verified before a visit, you could be billed the full self-pay rate. Always confirm coverage before you connect.
Online Therapy and Mental Health Costs
Mental health is one of the most popular uses of telehealth, and pricing varies widely depending on format and platform. In-person therapy averages $174 per hour out of pocket, so virtual options represent a real discount for most people.
Here’s what the major platforms charge:
- BetterHelp: $70 to $100 per week without insurance. With insurance, copays can drop as low as $0 to $19 per session.
- Talkspace: Starts at $69 per week for messaging-only therapy, $99 per week for video plus messaging, and $109 for video, messaging, and workshops. Insurance copays are typically $30 or less.
- Calmerry: $50 to $90 per week depending on the plan. Text-only therapy starts at $50 per week for the first month, while a plan with four live video sessions per month runs $74 per week initially, then $90.
- Octave Therapy: 96% of clients use insurance, paying an average of $28 per session out of pocket. Without insurance, individual therapy starts around $170 per session.
- Sesame Care: Virtual therapy starting at $29 for a new patient session, online psychiatry consultations from $80, and couples therapy at $132 per session.
The subscription-based platforms (BetterHelp, Talkspace, Calmerry) bundle messaging access between sessions, which can feel like more value if you prefer ongoing support rather than a weekly appointment. Per-session platforms like Sesame or Octave are better if you want occasional check-ins without a recurring weekly charge.
Hidden Costs to Watch For
The sticker price of a telehealth visit doesn’t always tell the full story. A few costs can catch you off guard.
If your provider orders lab work or imaging after a virtual visit, those get billed separately, often at in-person facility rates. Prescriptions written during a telehealth visit also carry their own costs, though some platforms bundle discounted prescriptions into their service. Sesame Care, for instance, offers prescriptions for $5 for a 30-day supply.
Some platforms charge a “platform fee” or “technology fee” on top of the provider’s consultation charge. This is more common with marketplace-style services that connect you with independent providers. Read the pricing page carefully before booking.
Follow-up visits are another consideration. A $37 urgent care visit sounds great, but if the provider can’t fully evaluate your issue over video and refers you to an in-person specialist, you’ve added a visit rather than replacing one. Telehealth works best for straightforward concerns: cold and flu symptoms, medication refills, skin rashes you can show on camera, mental health therapy, and chronic condition check-ins.
How to Get the Lowest Price
Start with your insurance plan’s own telehealth option. Many insurers partner with a specific platform and offer $0 copay virtual visits for basic care. Check your insurer’s app or member portal before shopping elsewhere.
If you’re uninsured, compare direct-to-consumer platforms rather than going through a hospital system’s virtual clinic. Hospital-affiliated telehealth (like NYU Langone’s $126 rate) tends to cost more than independent platforms where the same type of visit might start at $34 to $50. The tradeoff is that hospital systems give you access to specialists and can more easily coordinate follow-up care.
For mental health specifically, using insurance makes a dramatic difference. The gap between $174 per session out of pocket and a $23 insured copay is one of the largest in healthcare. If your employer offers an Employee Assistance Program, you may also have access to several free therapy sessions per year, often delivered via telehealth.