Amwell Online Therapy Review

Founded by Ido and Roy Schoenberg in 2006, Amwell is a telemedicine service based out of Boston, MA, that connects you with doctors, therapists, and psychiatrists quickly and efficiently, without the need to leave your home. Its goal is simple: Make quality medical and mental health care more accessible and convenient. And for the most part, the company achieves this goal.

First Impressions and Sign-up Process 

Amwell’s website is modern and informative, with a relatively easy-to-navigate website. However, since Amwell is a large telemedicine company, the website is large too, with multiple pages. As a result, it can be difficult to find detailed answers to questions about certain services from the website menu alone. Sometimes, it is simpler to google “Amwell” and whatever service you’re looking for (e.g. “couples therapy.”) 

That said, the FAQs page is well laid out, providing thorough answers to the questions posted. There is also a chat function on the website to help you find what you’re looking for. The chime sound that the chat function makes, however, is annoying and distracting. 

To sign-up for a therapy service at Amwell, you go to the therapy page, then click “get started.” You then let the company know what insurance you have and enter your email. Once your email is confirmed, you’ll be able to log into a portal where you can schedule an appointment. You also have the option to call a customer support representative if you need additional help scheduling your appointment. 

When you schedule your appointment, you can pick the therapist you want to work with by browsing through the bios of therapists with availability. Each therapist’s bio lists their qualifications, areas of specialty, and client reviews to help you make an informed decision on a good match.

Cost 

Amwell’s prices are competitive and less expensive than traditional, in-person therapy. However, the company is not subscription-based. It bills per therapy session booked, which means you might spend more in a month booking weekly sessions than you would at a subscription-based online therapy company. This is likely why only 67% of the users we surveyed said the costs for Amwell were very good or excellent. 

What Subscription Plans Do They Offer?

Amwell does not offer any subscriptions. Instead, you pay for each session you book at the time of service. 

You can book talk therapy sessions individually or as a couple. You can also book talk therapy sessions for children as young as 10 with parental consent. 

Is There a Free Trial?

There are no free trials or free consultation sessions. 

Does Amwell Accept Insurance?

Amwell accepts a wide variety of health insurance plans. If your health insurance plan is in-network and covers therapy and psychiatry services, you will either pay your insurance copay or a cash price of $69. 

If your insurance provider is not listed on their site, Amwell will provide a receipt so you can seek out-of-network reimbursement on your own. 

Of the users we surveyed, 85% said they were able to obtain at least some reimbursement from their insurance company for Amwell services, reducing their out-of-pocket costs.

Can You Change or Cancel Your Subscription?

If you are unhappy with your therapy session, you do not need to book another one, allowing you the flexibility to stop therapy whenever you want.

You can reschedule or cancel your sessions, but that generally requires at least 24 hours' notice. You will be charged a $20 no-show fee if you miss or don’t show up for your session unless your therapist changes it.  

Are There Discounts Available?

There are no discounts available for Amwell. 

Ease of Use

Once you’ve signed up on Amwell, it’s easy to schedule a session with a therapist through the online scheduling system or the Amwell app. You can also call customer service and they will schedule a session for you over the phone. 

Seventy-seven percent surveyed users said they thought Amwell’s platform was excellent or very good in terms of how easy it was to use.

Some users might miss the convenience that messaging therapy offers, but by focusing on live video sessions, Amwell is able to provide a service that feels closer to traditional therapy—even if it is virtual—which is likely why 87% of the users found their live video sessions to be excellent or very good. 

Since you can choose your therapist at Amwell and you book your own therapy sessions through an online scheduling platform, it is incredibly easy to switch therapists whenever you want to. All you have to do is browse through the gallery of bios, pick someone new, and schedule a session. 

Therapists' Qualifications and Quality of Care

When choosing Amwell service, most users stated that therapists’ qualifications were very important to them and played a role in their decision to sign up and begin services. 

Over 350 licensed therapists, social workers, counselors, and psychiatrists work for Amwell. All of them have their master’s degree or doctoral degrees and their bios, which detail their additional certifications and training, are all listed on the Amwell website. Amwell also employs online physicians who can prescribe medications via telehealth appointments. 

It does appear, however, that most people try a few therapists before booking regular sessions with one therapist because only 10% of those we surveyed met with only one therapist. According to our survey:

• Thirty-one percent of users met with two therapists.
• Thirty-six percent met with three therapists.
• Twenty-three percent met with four or more.

Types of Therapy Offered

Amwell employs a large number of therapists, psychiatrists, and doctors who specialize in a wide range of different therapies or types of treatment. 

Individual talk therapy services offered by Amwell are aimed at addressing:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Stress
• PTSD
• Panic attacks
• ADHD
• Mild to moderate eating disorders
• Nutrition counseling
• Menopause
• Women’s health issues
• Pregnancy and postpartum issues 
• Insomnia
• LGBTQ issues
• Bipolar disorder

Amwell also offers talk therapy for kids as young as 10, couple’s therapy, medication management, psychiatry, nutritional care, and breastfeeding support. 

Privacy Policies

Amwell states on its website that it takes great care in protecting your privacy and personal data. For example, all platforms and record-keeping practices adhere to HIPAA guidelines and requirements. 

It is worth noting, however, that while its privacy policy states that the company takes measures to keep its systems and online activity private and protected from hackers and identity thieves, it is not specific about any safety policies. 

In addition, when you book an online session or appointment, you can decide whether you want to share any medication information or records with your doctor or therapist. Some users choose to share this information to help their provider better treat them.

All current and former Amwell users do have the option of emailing the company and requesting that their medical files be deleted. 

Overall Client Satisfaction

Seventy-three percent of the people we surveyed said the care they received through Amwell was either very good or excellent and 78% said the value for money spent was either very good or excellent.

This might be why Amwell’s patients seem to stay with the service for a while. Our survey found:

• Nineteen percent had been with the company three to six months.
• Twenty-five percent had been with the company six months to a year.
• Thirty-nine had been with the company more than a year.

In addition, 9% said it was likely or very likely that they’d still be seeing an Amwell therapist in 12 months. 

Is Amwell Right For You?

Amwell is a great service for people who are looking for a one-stop platform for all their medical needs. Because you can book sessions whenever you need them, it’s a great choice if you need flexibility, either due to an unpredictable work schedule or if you aren't ready to commit to a certain number of therapy sessions a month. 

It might also work well for new parents since it offers a variety of services—such as breastfeeding support and pregnancy or postpartum therapy—that its competitors do not offer. Plus, since it offers talk therapy to kids as young as 10, it’s a great company for families that want to use one company for everybody’s needs. 

Since Amwell employs physicians and psychiatrists who can prescribe medication, it might also be a good choice for you if you need medication for depression or chronic pain. Amwell also accepts insurance, which makes it an affordable platform if you have good, in-network insurance. 

Amwell is not designed to be an emergency service or a crisis service, even though it offers on-demand appointments. So it is not a good choice for you if you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts, are in crisis, or need inpatient care. It is also not a good choice if you live with psychotic disorders or have a history of psychosis.

Amwell vs. MDLIVE

Both Amwell and MDLIVE are large telehealth companies that also offer therapy and psychiatry services. They both employ large staffs of licensed therapists, board-certified doctors, and psychiatrists and they both have easy-to-navigate, informative websites to attract patients and provide them with reliable information about various medical and behavioral conditions.  

Talk therapy sessions at both companies are 45 minutes long and take place over a live video call through your online client portal or app. Neither offers any messaging options for communicating with your therapist and at both places, you pay for each session as you book it, rather than pay a monthly therapy subscription. The advantage of this is that you can start and stop therapy anytime you like and easily switch therapists until you find someone you like. 

Of the users we surveyed:

• Seventy-three percent of Amwell users and 67% of MD Live users said the services were either very good or excellent. 
• Ninety-four percent of MD Live users said they were either likely or very likely to refer someone to the company, whereas only 88% of Amwell clients said the same. 

Both companies appear to have loyal users who intend to keep using the platforms for a while. According to our surveys, 91% of Amwell users and 90% of MDLIVE users said they were either very likely or likely to still being a therapist from the companies in 12 months. 

Of the users we surveyed who had tried other therapy services, 81% of Amwell users reported that services were either better or much better than the services at the companies they used before. At MDLIVE, only 73% of users said the same. 

Final Verdict

Amwell is a great one-stop telehealth company for people looking for quality therapy, psychiatry, and medication services. You can book sessions whenever you need them and if you have in-network health insurance, you can pay a very affordable rate per session.

However, if you’re not sure live video sessions will work for you, you might want to try an online therapy company that offers a monthly subscription with multiple communication options for talking to your therapist. 

Methodology

Our methodology for evaluating online therapy companies is comprehensive and data-driven. To fairly and accurately review the best online therapy programs, we sent questionnaires to 33 companies and surveyed 100 current users of each. This allowed us to directly compare services offered by gathering qualitative and quantitative data about each company and its users’ experiences.

Specifically, we evaluated each company on website usability, sign-up process, subscription offerings, client privacy protections, and how easy it is to change therapists. We then looked at therapist qualifications, the types of therapy offered, quality of care, client-therapist communication options, session length, and the therapist assignment process. Finally, we looked at cost, value for money, whether the companies take insurance, overall user satisfaction, and the likelihood clients would recommend them.