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Our editors have researched, reviewed, and ranked the best in wellness for years. These are our picks for telehealth platforms that make it easier for women to access convenient, high-quality care from home.

Millions of women and those identifying as women live in a “primary care desert” โ€” aka where there’s a significant shortage of available PCPs, making it difficult to access even the most routine medical care. Telehealth platforms are designed to help bridge this gap, and their offerings can range from pregnancy and postpartum needs to other reproductive issues, preventative care, and treatment of chronic conditions. More recently, telehealth has even started expanding access to midlife and menopausal care. 

If a specialist isn’t near you, or you need to get better care in general, here are some effective options to consider; many of these are designed to be affordable and/or covered by insurance, but there are out-of-pocket costs in some cases. 

What should you look for when deciding on a telehealth platform? 

  • HIPAA compliance: No telehealth platform should ever sell or use your data in an unlawful way โ€” including to sell it to third-party advertisers. Several telehealth and digital health platforms have faced scrutiny and even lawsuits for privacy and HIPAA violations, so this is probably the most important aspect to check. 
  • Medical experts: Who would be providing you care? Are there board-certified medical professionals on staff with the relevant experience to help you with your medical needs? Sites will often disclose provider names or explain clinical protocols they use when treating patients. It can be helpful to look up their treatment philosophy to see if it aligns with yours or they have someone for the specialty you require.
  • Accessibility: Think about how you can access care. Is there a long wait time to get connected with someone? Can you message or text your provider? Are you able to access what you need, when you need it, in a way that’s convenient for you? These are all important factors, and platforms have different methodologies. Some of them even have dedicated apps to facilitate the process. 
  • Insurance coverage: Some of the platforms offer care that’s covered by insurance, and some aren’t (or are only partially covered, depending on the medication). The level of affordability will factor into whether the service is working for you, especially since you don’t want any hidden costs once you sign up.
  • Cost: While these programs are often designed to be affordable, it’s important to understand the pricing structure ahead of time. Some programs offer subscriptions, others charge for specific treatment needs like weight loss. We’ve noted below the cost for the programs we recommend, but it’s always okay to ask the provider or staff. 
  • Reviews: If the site has patient reviews, that can offer a sense of whether users have a good experience โ€” but, of course, they might not include any negative feedback. Some third party sites like TrustPilot collate reviews; Reddit can provide some answers, but bear in mind that unregulated sites aren’t able to verify whether a user has actually used the service. 

Our criteria:

After researching, corresponding with brands, and combing through customer reviews, our editors have chosen our favorite telehealth platforms serving women. We update this list regularly with new, emerging favorites, and all of our picks are evaluated to meet the following criteria:

  • ACCESSIBLE CARE | When youโ€™re trying to get your health on track, it can be difficult to simultaneously navigate the healthcare system. Weโ€™ve prioritized services that make healthcare more convenient, inclusive, and easy to navigate.
  • QUALIFIED PROVIDERS | Each platform works with licensed healthcare professionals and offers evidence-based care. We prioritized companies with strong privacy standards and positive patient experiences.

If you want to learn more beyond just these telehealth platforms, we have a comprehensive guide to help you learn more about functional medicine, as well as resources for affordable online therapy and online couples therapy


1. Hello Alpha

Doctor approved
HIPAA compliant
LGBTQ friendly
Woman owned

Best For | Holistic care
HIPAA compliant | Yes
Accepts insurance | No (except potentially prescriptions)
Prices starting at | $29 a month for a Basic Plan

After she had a women’s health issue and was bounced around between providers, Gloria Lau, MD, PhD, became frustrated with the lack of comprehensive healthcare solutions. She’s now CEO of Hello Alpha (formerly called Alpha Medical), which aims to improve women’s health access. Hello Alpha has a team of board-certified doctors, physicians assistants, and nurse practitioners. Providers are given both clinical training and patient journey training (called “Alpha Academy”) to help treat the whole personโ€”and to shatter the barriers women face when they report medical issues and aren’t believed. It’s designed to be affordable, convenient, and also discreet, and it’s a solution that works particularly well if you don’t have access to doctors nearby. You can access the portal, message your doctor, and conduct visits from your phone or computer browser.

Hello Alpha lists the more than 100 medical conditions they treat, so you can identify ahead of time whether they’re a good fit. They can help with everything from weight loss and smoking cessation to pregnancy and postpartum issues. Some of these can only be treated with an Alpha Plus membership at $79 a month, so look at the list ahead of time to see what’s covered.  

Customer Review | “The entire process was extremely easy. I was able to get a visit, consultation, and prescription in a span of 48 hours.” (Read more reviews.)


2. Nourish

Accepts insurance
HIPAA compliant
LGBTQ friendly
Multiple languages

Best For | Customized nutrition help
HIPAA compliant | Yes
Accepts insurance | Yes
Prices starting at | $0 if covered by insurance; $145 if not

Nourish is on a mission to improve nutrition and address the health issues that often stem from it. The platform combines virtual access to registered dietitians with an app designed to help users build sustainable, healthy habits and stay on track with their long-term health goals. With more than 6,000 specialists across a wide range of focus areas, including women’s health, perimenopause, GLP-1 support, digestive health, diabetes management, heart health, and more, users can connect with an expert tailored to their specific needs. All appointments take place virtually via Zoom, and Nourish accepts hundreds of insurance plans nationwide. In fact, according to the company, 94% of patients pay $0 out of pocket for care.

You can start by browsing their provider directory, where you can search by location, specialties, cuisine, and concerns, among others. There’s also a filter for different approaches and styles, from LGBTQ+-affirming care all the way to a focus on functional medicine. Then, the dietician will perform a comprehensive nutrition assessment in the first session and make adjustments with you in follow-up sessions. The app helps you track your food but also offers recipes, guides, and meal ideas, with the goal of turning food from a “stressor to a healer.” The majority of patients report improvements in three months! 

Customer Review | “Trish is awesome. She is compassionate, knowledgeable, patient, and non-judgmental and I am learning a lot! Also, the support team is there whenever I need them and for whatever.” – Kate (Read more reviews.)

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3. Midi Health

Accepts insurance
Doctor approved
HIPAA compliant
Subscriptions available

Best For | Menopause
HIPAA compliant | Yes
Accepts insurance | Yes
Prices starting at | Standard copay if covered by insurance; $250 for a first visit and $150 for a follow-up if not

Midi is designed to support women from the start of peri-menopause through post-menopause, and help with their many needs in that period. As a virtual care clinic for women over 40, they’re hyper-focused on personalized treatments to get patients feeling better quickly. Specialists treat symptoms from hot flashes and sexual dysfunction to more surprising symptoms like tooth sensitivity, hair loss, and even allergies. Their resources include a list of symptoms you might be surprised to learn can be associated with menopause. 

Midi might be the most well-known option on this listโ€”women report that their clinicians recommend the service for the midlife experts’ knowledgeable care, and many users report that the solutions feel custom-made for their specific needs. Not to mention: plenty of reviewers report feeling better with the medications provided. Midi also offers supplements and lifestyle coaching to help patients in a holistic way, and they offer proactive aging support for anyone who wants to start care before they enter menopause. Separately from menopausal support, they can help with weight management. And, if you’ve just got a general concern like a thyroid issue, they can help with that too. 

Customer Review | “My clinician is amazing. She prescribed me a GLP-1 for weight loss and HRT. I’ve lost 20 pounds. I feel so much better now that I’m getting the right support.” – Laura M. (Read more reviews.)


4. AxiaConnect

Accepts insurance
Doctor approved
HIPAA compliant

Best For | Women in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest
HIPAA compliant | Yes
Accepts insurance | Yes
Prices starting at | Standard copay, depending on insurance 

AxiaConnect is a real-time telemedicine platform provided through Axia Women’s Health, one of the largest independent women’s healthcare networks in the U.S. Starting in the pandemic to better reach patients remotely, AxiaConnect helps women access their OB/GYN, midwife, specialist, or care teamโ€”or supplement their existing resources with these specialistsโ€”via Zoom from wherever they are. Their providers can consult on various conditions: infertility, pelvic floor disorders, Vaginitis/STI testing, menopause, and surgical consults, among others. It’s straightforward to message your doctor, request prescriptions, and do anything else you might do with a doctor you see in person. 

The first step is to see whether Axia has a center that’s near you, which is a necessary prerequisite for using the service. Axia primarily operates in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. Based on their website, it looks like their Weight Management (Center for Healthy Living) does accept patients from out of state, so just put in your location in the search function and see what pops up. Once you’ve scheduled an appointment, you can request a particular provider based on availability, or make an appointment based on your specific medical need. 


5. Allara

Accepts insurance
Doctor approved
HIPAA compliant
Woman owned

Best For | Women with complex conditions
HIPAA compliant | Yes
Accepts insurance | Yes
Prices starting at | $0 if covered by insurance; $125 if not

Rachel Blank, CEO and founder of Allara, dealt with years of health issues before finally being diagnosed with Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS, formerly called PCOS). She realized how common an issue this was for many women and said that she built Allara as a resource for the compassionate, specialized care that women deserve. As a specialty care platform, Allara treats hormonal, metabolic, and gynecological conditions as well as unexplained symptoms. That includes PMOS, insulin resistance, endometriosis, Hashimotoโ€™s Thyroiditis, hypothyroidism, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), uterine fibroids, Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI), and others. 

Your virtual care team may include an OB/GYN, registered nurse, and/or registered dietician. Allara offers a “root cause medicine” approach (sometimes called functional medicine) that aims to get at the source of chronic health issues. They offer hormonal and metabolic testing, and their solutions range from supplements and nutrition plans to recommendations around exercise, stress management, and lifestyle suggestions. They also offer medication when it makes sense and ongoing support and free education after consultations and diagnoses. In other words, they pride themselves on leaving no stone unturned to help patients with their diagnoses.

Customer Review | “I was given an explanation of how my hormonal imbalance was affecting me as a wholeโ€”body & mindโ€”& tools so that we could start to manage my condition. I am happy to announce, after a year of trying, I found out that I was pregnant & I couldnโ€™t be happier!” – Mia (Read more reviews.


6. Alloy

Doctor approved
HIPAA compliant
Subscriptions available
Woman owned

Best For | Care that’s not video-based
HIPAA compliant | Yes
Accepts insurance | No
Prices starting at | $49 one-time consultation fee, then subscriptions based on medication

Alloy is a resource for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women to get access to all the resources they need. Co-founders Anne Fulenwider and Monica Molenaar, both of whom experienced the gaps in healthcare for women as they aged, partnered with Dr. Sharon Malone to create a platform offering safe and effective solutions. 

After completing an intake form, a menopause-trained doctor can help with personalized treatment (addressing everything from brain fog to mood swings and low libido) in less than 12 hours. Then, they offer a host of medications based on your profile that they can ship directly to you. Note: Alloy isn’t offered via video or phone; everything is completed through their portal. If you want to speak with a specialist, some of the other menopause-centric platforms on this list might be the better option for you. Alloy works on a subscription model, so after an initial fee up front, they usually offer medications in 3-month supplies. You can browse their medical solutions before you even sign up for the service; even though they don’t take insurance, they are FSA/HSA eligible. 

Customer Review | “I am only 3.5 weeks in and am feeling like myself again. My husband actually said to me out of the blue the other day, “You’re back to yourself for the first time in a long time.” Feels good to feel good :)” – Katy (Read more reviews.)


7. Winona

Doctor approved
HIPAA compliant
Subscriptions available
Woman owned

Best For | Hormone replacement therapy
HIPAA compliant | Yes
Accepts insurance | No
Prices starting at | $27 for medication 

Derived from the Sioux Dakota word “Winรบล‹na,” which means “first-born daughter,” Winona is for patients in their menopausal journey and particularly for women who have been told their symptoms aren’t “bad enough” yet (a common refrain for those in perimenopause or early menopause). Winona offers bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for women whose hormone levels are decliningโ€”which, they note, can happen as early as 35. Bioidentical, if you’re not familiar, means a chemical that’s chemically identical to the version that the body produces; it’s designed to fit into the body’s hormone receptors more precisely, which is just a fancy way of saying they’re customized to work better for your body.

Winona starts with a health quiz, then a doctor will review your profile and email with eligibility and potential treatment plans. As with Alloy, you’re not interacting with them in person, but you can chat with a provider for free via their platform. Winona provides a list of products they might potentially offer, often offered in 1- or 3-month supplies. The treatments are HSA and FSA eligible, and Winona will provide receipts so you can submit an out-of-network reimbursement. 

Customer Review | “Since starting Winona cream and DHEA supplements, I have found my periods are lighter again, my hot flashes and night sweats have stopped, and I feel much more balanced. The cream is unscented and goes on easily and soaks in quickly. My doctor visit was thorough and he was quick to respond to my questions and provide guidance for my body.” – Carly L. (Read more reviews.


Katherine J. Igoe is a writer and editor who covers fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, with sustainability at the core of her work. She’s written for The New York Times, The Cut, InStyle, etc., and been a contributing editor at Cosmo and Marie Claire.