Cerebral vs K Health (Who has the best services?)
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OptimistMinds
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The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
In the following pages, we will be exploring and comparing the services offered by two tele-health platforms, Cerebral and K Health. Cerebral is a very popular platform that offers therapy services and psychiatry services for anyone with a mental health condition. K Health provides all types of health care services, including psychiatry services for mental health.
The table below will show the main features in Cerebral and K Health. We will also be able to see the stark differences between the two tele-health giants.
| Feature | Cerebral | K Health |
| Types of services | Therapy and Psychiatry | All types of health care |
| Pricing | Min 85 USD | Min 19 USD |
| Payment options | All major credit or debit cards, HSA, FSA | All major credit cards or debit cards, HSA, FSA |
| Insurance | Available | Unavailable |
| Age group | 18 years and above | 3 years and above |
Cerebral
Pros
- It offers therapy and psychiatry
- Care counseling is available
- It can be covered by insurance
Cons
- It does not offer therapy for couples or teens
- It does not have group sessions
- It cannot be used for emergency cases
K Health
Pros
- K Health is very affordable
- It can be used without insurance
- It offers all types of health care
Cons
- It does not offer therapy services
- The K-Health app has a lot of technical issues
- It cannot be used for all types of conditions
About Cerebral
Cerebral is a mental health care platform that was founded in January 2020 by Kyle Robertson. The entire aim of the platform is to make mental health as easily accessible as possible. The main problem that Cerebral aimed to solve was the long periods of waiting, which users of traditional mental health care systems have to often suffer through.
In Cerebral, the user can quickly access mental health care from anywhere. The medications are prescribed by well-experienced psychiatrists who can be consulted through audio or video sessions. The therapy sessions can also be conducted through phone sessions or video conferencing.
Cerebral also offers care counseling as part of its services. The care counselors provide emotional support and train the user in behavioral techniques. They also monitor the progress of the user and revert to the other members of the care team. The platform offers insurance coverage for all its services.
About K Health
Through K Health, users can avail all types of healthcare. The healthcare is offered for all age groups and also has features related to primary care, mental health care and even pediatric care. There is even an option for urgent care for its users. The communication between the patients and the doctors can be done through text messaging or video consultations.
K Health is very affordable and is cost-effective for all economic classes. The platform aims to make health care as cheap as possible without the use of insurance. Furthermore, K Health offers a symptom checker in which the user can enter their details and the platform offers an opinion using AI.
Best features of Cerebral
Cerebral is definitely one of the most well-known names in the field of mental health care. The platform offers several great features and characteristics such as,
Easy access to mental health care
The mental health care services in Cerebral are very easy to access and can be done in a short span of time. The main aim of Cerebral is to make mental health quickly accessible for all, and users can expect to get in touch with a psychiatrist or a licensed therapist within a few days of signing up for the platform.
Consultations through various formats
The consultations in Cerebral are offered through various formats such as video sessions and phone sessions. The user has complete control over which format they would prefer for their live sessions. The live sessions are conducted about once a month and go on for the duration of around 45 minutes.
Several plans to choose from
Cerebral offers several plans for its users to choose from. Those who require only the psychiatry services of the platform can opt for the Medication + Care Counseling plan while those who want only therapy can opt for the Coaching plan of Cerebral. Users who want both these features can choose the Medication + Coaching plan.
Care counseling for every user
Every user in Cerebral has access to a care counselor. The platform follows a collaborative care model of treatment of which care counseling forms an integral part. The care counselor is a mental health professional who works closely with the patient, monitors their progress and also provides emotional support and guidance throughout their treatment.
Door-delivery of medications
The medications that users are prescribed in Cerebral are delivered to the user’s residence directly. The medications are also packaged discreetly and sent to the user. The user, thus, does not need to leave the house to access their medications and are saved from monthly pharmacy trips.
Documents and certificates provisions
The platform also provides documents and certificates related to mental health and mental status. Documents related to work leaves and disabilities can be easily requested from the prescribers of the platform who then will decide if such a document is warranted. Letters for Emotional Support Animals can also be provided here.
Medications for a range of mental health conditions
In Cerebral’s psychiatry services, users can access medications for a range of mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depressions, and even postpartum depression. There are also psychiatry services provided for those who are suffering from ADHD or Bipolar Disorder, however absent in some states of the US.
Progress tracking features
The platform allows the user to view the progress that they have made through the progress tracking feature in Cerebral. This feature is open to the entire care team of the user. This allows a more scientific approach in deciding what works and what does not work for the betterment of the user’s mental health.
Easy insurance coverage
All the services of Cerebral are easily eligible for insurance coverage. The insurance coverage is through a large number of in-network providers like Aetna, Cigna, Optum and Blue Cross BlueShield. The insurance coverage can greatly reduce the expenses towards mental health care for all the users.
Best features of K Health
K Health caters to the healthcare needs of nearly 6 million patients and is definitely one of the most popular tele-health platforms today. K Health offers a wide variety of features such as,
Quick access to doctors
The access to doctors through K Health is pretty quick and very simply arranged. Those who are opting for the urgent care services can get an appointment in an even shorter span of time. Users can almost instantly chat with doctors and talk about their symptoms and receive treatment in no time at all.
High affordability
The platform is known for its high affordability rates. The great thing about this is that K Health does not require users to be covered by insurance and they can easily pay for the consultations out of pocket. The platform also offers lesser prices if the user is opting for a longer subscription in K Health.
Various means of communication
The users of K Health can communicate with their doctors through a number of ways. They can have live video as well as phone sessions as part of the consultation process. In addition to this, the user can opt to text their doctors at any time. This feature allows the patient to be constantly in contact with their doctors.
Mental health care
Mental health care is also offered in K Health. This feature is pretty useful as it is very much affordable when compared to traditional mental health care settings. For the purpose of mental health, the user can take a free assessment in the platform and are immediately put in touch with a doctor who can prescribe the required medications.
Primary care services
Primary health care is also made quite easy in K Health. The user has easy access to a primary health care provider who can be communicated with via text messaging at any time of the day. Users often use the primary care services of K Health through a monthly subscription which is very economical.
Urgent care services
Urgent care services are also offered in K Health for conditions like UTIs, sinus infections or allergies. These services entitle the user to quick consultations with a doctor at a flat one-time fee. Users can also opt for a monthly subscription if they wish to. The medications for the treatment are sent to the local pharmacy of the user.
Pediatrics services
Health care services for children can also be availed through K Health. The Pediatrics services in this platform are similar to the other health care programs. Doctors who have experience in treating children are put across to the users in this feature.
Symptom checker feature
K Health also offers a symptom checker feature that can allow basically anyone to check their symptoms. The platform uses technology and artificial intelligence to provide an opinion based on the input of the user. The user is then directed to a medical professional who can guide them in the course of treatment.
Health guides
K Health also offers plenty of health resources such as health guides that can be very useful for users and also the general public. These are curated by medical experts and cover a range of topics related to physical health, sexual health and even mental health. Users can also opt to have this content delivered straight to their inboxes.
Pricing of Cerebral
The costs of mental health care in Cerebral can depend on the plan that the user is opting for. The various plans of Cerebral along with the features available in each have been explained below.
Medication + Care Counseling plan
In this plan, the user has access to the psychiatry services in Cerebral for $85 per month. In this plan, they also have access to care counseling. The users can communicate with their prescribers and care counselors through video sessions or phone sessions as per their choice. The progress made by the user is also checked and updated on a regular basis.
Coaching plan
The coaching plan of Cerebral allows the user to communicate with a behavioral health coach for $145 per month. In this plan, the user can get live therapy sessions through live phone sessions or video sessions. They also have access to unlimited messaging with their coach. The progress of the user is also regularly tracked by the coach who maneuvers the treatment appropriately.
Medication + Coaching plan
The Medication + Coaching plan of Cerebral allows the user access to therapy services as well as psychiatry services in the platform. This plan costs a fee of $195 per month and is one of the most popular plans of the platform. In this plan, the user can communicate with the prescriber or the therapist through live phone sessions and live video sessions as well.
Pricing of K Health
The pricing of K Health is quite affordable and very transparent. The user can get access to an appointment with a doctor at a one-time fee of $29. As an alternative, the user can get a membership for a fee of $19 per month through which they can communicate with their doctors at any given time.
Signing up for Cerebral
To sign up for Cerebral, the user will have to go to the website or the app and complete the brief emotional assessment. Once this is done, the platform will ask the user to schedule a video or phone consultation with a mental health professional who will guide them in the upcoming steps of treatment.
Signing up for K Health
To sign up for the healthcare services in K Health, the user can simply go to the website and click on the ‘Get Started’ option. The platform will quiz the user on a number of topics and prompt them to the following steps. The user can then create an appointment and start chatting with their doctor.
Tips for using Cerebral
Cerebral offers plenty of features that can be very advantageous if used in the right manner. Some tips or suggestions to help users of Cerebral improve their experience have been compiled below.
- The live therapy sessions in Cerebral can be in audio formats or video formats. To experience these better, you can use a quiet corner of your home, your porch or even a nearby park where you will not be disturbed.
- Make sure your devices and internet connection is in top working order before your live therapy session. This will reduce the chances of buffering or any technological glitches that can decrease the quality of your sessions.
- You can also maintain a therapy journal where you can write down your thoughts and feelings related to your treatment. You can also use this journal to write down daily as part of your self-care.
- The platform offers unlimited messaging if you are on the Coaching plan. The unlimited messaging can be used for not only communication but also healthy venting.
Tips for using K Health
K Health may be a pretty easy platform on its own. However, there are always many ways through which you can improve the quality of your health care. Some tips to help you on your way in K Health have been given below.
- K Health offers text messaging as well as video sessions with the doctor. Since there are no in-person sessions here, it may be difficult for your doctor to understand you. You can help them by being more expressive of what you are feeling or thinking right now.
- Make sure that your prior commitments are completed before your video session with your doctor so that you can concentrate better on your health and your mental health.
- You can also frequent the health guides of K Health. These are literally little pots of gold and can be useful for you or someone you might know.
Personal experiences in Cerebral
The Cerebral app has pretty good ratings in both the Apple apps and Google Play store. In Apple apps, the app has a rating of 4.7 stars while the rating is 4.3 stars in Google Play store.
- The prescription services in the platform have been found to be very useful and standard by a large percentage of users. The prescribers of the platform have also been found to be professional and empathetic.
- Many users of the psychiatry services of the platform have had their dosages reduced and have experienced better mental health due to the collaborative care model of the platform.
- A small percentage of the users of Cerebral have not liked the care counseling feature that the platform provides. They have also felt that the care counselors are often confused for licensed therapists.
- The Cerebral app itself has been found to be very buggy by several users who have formally complained.
Personal experiences in K Health
The K Health app has a rating of 4.5 stars in Apple apps and a rating of 3.9 stars in the Google Play store. Users have had mostly mixed experiences on this platform. Some of their experiences have been described below.
- Most users of K Health have felt that the prices are very affordable, especially when comparing it to traditional health care settings.
- Many users have complained specifically about the app and the large number of issues that are present in it.
- Users who are not covered by insurance have felt the platform is cost-effective and services here can be easily afforded in the absence of insurance coverage.
- A large percentage of the users of this platform have felt that the services are superb for non-emergency related medical conditions.
Conclusion
Cerebral and K Health are both great platforms for mental health care and general health care respectively. These platforms operate completely online and thus provide more convenience and comfort. Cerebral is more focused on delivered high-quality mental health care services while K Health aims to make all types of health care accessible and more affordable.
Through Cerebral, users can get access to therapy services as well as psychiatry services in the same space. The platform offers a set of plans that users can choose from according to their needs and requirements. The live sessions can be conducted either via phone or through video calls.
In K Health, the user can get easy access to all types of health care services. The platform also includes mental health services. The health care services in K Health are not covered by any insurance and the platform has fixed the prices so low that anyone can afford them without insurance coverage.
BetterHelp: A Better Alternative
If you are on the prowl for an amazing platform that offers superb mental health services, we would highly recommend BetterHelp. BetterHelp offers individual therapy services, couples therapy services and even therapy for teenagers. Furthermore, the platform also provides group therapy sessions that are conducted about once a week.
The subscription to BetterHelp is pretty affordable and while there is no insurance coverage here, the platform provides financial assistance to those who are unemployed, disabled and even those who have veteran status. The financial assistance needs to be renewed every three months and can reduce the costs of therapy by up to 25 per cent.
Frequently asked questions:
How much does K Health cost?
The price for a one-time visit in K Health is $29. The user can also be given unlimited access to a doctor for a membership fee of $19 per month.
Can K Health prescribe pain medication?
Yes, doctors in K Health can prescribe pain medication. In addition to this, they can also prescribe antibiotics and medications for allergies.
Does K Health prescribe Viagra?
Most of the doctors in K Health prescribe sildenafil which is a generic of Viagra for those who have Erectile Dysfunction.
Is Cerebral a real company?
Yes, Cerebral is a real company that was founded in 2020 by Kyle Robertson. The platform deals with delivering mental health care in the forms of therapy and psychiatry for anyone at very affordable prices.
Does Cerebral take Tricare?
Yes, Cerebral takes Tricare insurance, thus enabling millions of active duty members and their families to avail mental health care.
Is Cerebral in network?
Yes, Cerebral is in-network with several insurance providers like Cigna, Aetna and Optum.
If you like this post, please leave your comments and questions below.
Citations
https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/cerebral
https://www.datanyze.com/companies/cerebral/480332052
https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/kang-health
https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/1848035D:US
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