What is Zocdoc, and is it free?
Zocdoc is a booking marketplace, not a clinic. You search by specialty, insurance and location, see real-time availability, and book an in-person or video appointment with an independent clinician. For patients it is free; the clinicians and practices pay Zocdoc to be listed. The visit itself costs whatever that clinician charges or your insurance copay, which Zocdoc shows you before you book.
It is the right tool when you want to see a specific kind of doctor, use your insurance, or establish ongoing care, rather than get a one-off telehealth visit.
How much is an Amazon One Medical visit?
Amazon One Medical offers two things. Pay-per-visit telehealth, formerly Amazon Clinic, treats a list of common conditions without insurance for a flat fee, with message-based visits priced lower than video visits and prices that vary by state and condition. Separately, One Medical membership is a primary care practice with offices in some cities, a monthly or annual fee, and in-person and virtual visits billed to insurance.
The pay-per-visit service prescribes non-controlled medications only. Prime members also see subscription treatment plans for a few conditions, which combine the visit and medication delivery; as with any bundle, know what you are paying for over time.
How much does GoodRx online doctor cost?
GoodRx Care, formerly HeyDoctor, is GoodRx's telehealth clinic. Visits are flat-fee, mostly asynchronous, cover common conditions such as UTIs, birth control, acne and refills, and prescribe non-controlled medications sent to your pharmacy. GoodRx states the visit fee is separate from medication costs and is not billed to insurance, though its discount coupons can be applied to the prescription at the pharmacy.
It is a reasonable fit for straightforward one-off problems when you also want to compare pharmacy prices in the same app.
Does CVS do telehealth? Can Walgreens Clinic prescribe antibiotics?
Yes to both. CVS MinuteClinic Virtual Care offers video visits through the CVS app for minor illnesses, injuries and skin conditions, with clinicians licensed in your state who can prescribe, including antibiotics when appropriate, and refer you to a MinuteClinic or local clinician if an exam is needed. It is available whether or not you have insurance.
Walgreens Virtual Healthcare, launched in 2023, offers video and some asynchronous visits for urgent-care conditions, and in 2026 added a weight-management clinic. It is cash-pay and does not bill insurance for the visit, though your insurance can be used for the prescription at the pharmacy. Its clinicians prescribe antibiotics when the diagnosis supports it and do not prescribe controlled substances.
Can LiveHealth Online prescribe antibiotics?
LiveHealth Online is the telehealth service offered through Anthem and affiliated Blue Cross plans, with video visits around the clock. Its clinicians can prescribe non-controlled medications, including antibiotics for conditions where the diagnosis is reliable by history, and send them to your pharmacy. If your plan includes it, your copay is usually modest; it also sells visits directly.
Is Ask a Doctor online free? Is AskMD free? What about HotDoc?
Ask a Doctor and similar sites, most of them run by JustAnswer, let you type a question and get a written reply from a verified clinician for a fee, sometimes after a free trial. That is information, not a medical visit: no diagnosis, no prescription, no follow-up. AskMD is a free symptom-checker app from Sharecare; it organizes your symptoms and suggests questions for a clinician, and no clinician is involved.
HotDoc is an Australian appointment-booking app. Its telehealth is delivered by Australian practices, and bulk billing is a feature of Australia's Medicare system. Neither applies in the United States.
How to choose
- Your plan includes a telehealth service: start there. It is usually the cheapest option for you.
- One-off common problem, paying yourself: a flat-fee telehealth clinic with a stated price and no medication sales.
- You want a specific doctor, your insurance, or ongoing care: book through your insurer's directory or Zocdoc.
- You just want information: a reputable health site, your plan's nurse line, or a question-and-answer site, understanding none of them is a visit.
- Anything urgent or getting worse: urgent care or the emergency room, not a screen.
Where Plunge Care fits
Plunge Care is a flat-fee telehealth clinic. Visits are written: you submit a request through a secure portal and a clinician licensed in your state reviews it personally and messages with you in the same thread. Prescriptions, when appropriate, go electronically to the pharmacy you choose. Plunge Care does not sell medication, does not bill insurance and never prescribes controlled substances.
It is licensed in all 50 states and onboarding providers nationwide; your request is routed only to a clinician licensed in the state you are in. You see the fee before you confirm, and nothing is charged until a clinician accepts your request.
