Cerebral vs Lemonaid (A detailed review)
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OptimistMinds
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Author bio
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.
This review will compare the services offered by Cerebral and Lemonaid, two popular platforms in the industry of tele-health. Cerebral offers services for only mental health and mental illness through psychotherapy and psychiatry services, both delivered online. Lemonaid, on the other hand, caters to many medical conditions, including mental illnesses.
In the following table, you will be able to understand the spectrum of features of both these platforms while taking a quick view of the differences between the two.
| Feature | Cerebral | Lemonaid |
| Types of services | Therapy and Psychiatry | All types of health care |
| Pricing | Min 85 USD | Min 95 USD |
| Payment options | All major credit or debit cards, HSA, FSA | All major credit cards |
| Insurance | Available | Unvailable |
| Age group | 18 years and above | 18 years and above |
Cerebral
Pros
- Cerebral offers therapy and psychiatry in one space
- It can be covered by insurance
- It offers care counseling
Cons
- Cerebral does not offer unlimited messaging with therapists
- The therapy services are not available in all the states
- Emergency cases cannot be treated here
Lemonaid
Pros
- Lemonaid offers quick access to medical care
- It offers medication as well as coaching services
- It offers medical testing services
Cons
- It does not allow audio sessions for the coaching
- Therapy services are not provided here
- Insurance coverage is not possible
About Cerebral
Cerebral, formerly called Get Cerebral, is a telemedicine company that was launched in January 2020 with an aim to make mental health care easily accessible for everyone. The platform has since then treated about 100,000 patients. The platform offers therapy services as well as psychiatry services in a single space.
Picture credit: Cerebral
Cerebral offers its services through a monthly subscription format. Users can choose between three different plans, each offering a different set of features and benefits. The therapy sessions in this platform can be conducted through video or audio sessions, and the same goes for the psychiatry services as well.
In addition to the therapy and the psychiatry services here, Cerebral also provides care counseling which is a unique feature of this platform. The platform has ensured that the affordability of its services is pretty high by allowing insurance coverage through several in-network providers.
About Lemonaid
Lemonaid Health is a telemedicine platform that was founded in 2013 by Ian Van Every and Jason Hwang. The platform was founded with the aim to make medical health care an easy opportunity for everybody. It offers a wide range of features and has been popular especially for conditions associated with stigma, such as sexual and mental health.
Picture credit: Lemonaid Health
The medical services in the platform are offered completely online and can be availed in a very short span of time. The platform also charges pretty low fees for the consultation. In addition to medical consultations, it also offers professional care for mental health conditions like anxiety and depression and even insomnia.
There is also a feature for health and wellness coaching for those who are interested in making positive changes in their lives. It additionally offers a complete package of primary care for those who are interested. Users of this plan can also invite their entire family for a fixed fee after which continuous contact with the doctor can be provided.
Best features of Cerebral
Cerebral offers its users plenty of features that can be very positive for mental health. Some of the best features of this platform have been explored in the section below.
Cerebral offers therapy as well as psychiatry services
In Cerebral, the user can access therapy as well as psychiatry services in a single platform. Cerebral also offers plans with both these features so that users can get the best out of both worlds. Both the services are offered by licensed and experienced mental health professionals who are well-qualified to provide high quality mental health care.
There are various plans to choose from
There are a variety of plans in Cerebral that users can choose from according to their needs and requirements. The platform currently provides three main plans that users can opt from depending on whether they need only therapy, only access to a psychiatrist or both these options for their mental health.
Insurance coverage is easily possible
The plans in Cerebral are easily covered through insurance. The platform has done a great job of tying up with in-network providers such as Aetna, Anthem, Blue Shield and even Optum. The insurance coverage is applicable for both the therapy as well as the psychiatry services of Cerebral.
Therapy can be accessed from anywhere
This platform operates completely online and thus can be accessed and used from anywhere. The therapy services, especially, can be experienced even from remote areas which might have a dearth of licensed and qualified mental health professionals. This can be great for those who are busy or cannot leave the house due to various reasons such as physical disabilities.
Picture credit: Cerebral
It offers care counseling services
Care counseling services are also offered in Cerebral. This is a unique concept of Cerebral and follows the collaborative care model. Each user has access to a care counselor who manages all forms of their treatment and also tracks their progress. The care counselors also offer emotional support and train the user in various behavioral strategies.
Medications are delivered home
The medications that are availed through Cerebral are delivered to the home of the user directly. The medications or drugs are also packed discreetly. As an alternative, users can have the drugs delivered to their local pharmacy. The refills are also automatically sent to the address of the user who does not have to worry about shipping charges as these are included in the original payment.
It offers quick access to a psychiatrist
The psychiatry services in Cerebral can be accessed very quickly and pretty easily. The patient is put in touch with a suitable psychiatrist, who is called the prescriber in Cerebral, in a short span of 7 days. This is highly in comparison to the usual wait time of months or weeks in traditional mental health care settings.
Progress is regularly tracked
The progress made by the user is regularly tracked in Cerebral by the therapist or the prescriber as per the plan being chosen. This is also open to the care counselor and needful adjustments in medication or therapy can be easily made. This feature is part of the scientific approach that Cerebral takes great pains to establish in all its mental health care models.
Documents can be provided
Those who require certain documents and letters regarding their mental health status can avail these from the psychiatrists in Cerebral. However, this depends completely on the discretion of the psychiatrist. Users of the plan can request their psychiatrists or prescribers for documents related to disabilities, work leaves and also for Emotional Support Animals.
Best features of Lemonaid
Lemonaid or Lemonaid Health has been growing steadily ever since its founding. This tele-health or tele-medicine platform offers a wide range of medical care as well as mental health care. The best attributes of Lemonaid have been described in the following points.
Lemonaid offers all types of medical care
Lemonaid Health is a one-stop shop for all medical and health needs. In this platform, the user can avail all types of medical care from doctor consultations to even medication services. In addition to these, the platform offers great services for mental health needs as well as sexual health.
Picture credit: Lemonaid Health
It offers testing services
Testing services are also available in Lemonaid for various factors like blood cholesterol levels and even blood sugar levels. Furthermore, STD testing can also be done through Lemonaid. Another useful characteristic is that Lemonaid offers testing for COVID-1 through safe but effective ways.
It provides treatment for insomnia
Those who are suffering from insomnia can get treatment easily from Lemonaid through medications after consulting with a doctor. Insomnia is an issue that a large percentage of the population is suffering from and can even lead to a lot of physical problems in addition to mental distress.
Health and wellness coaching can be availed here
Health and wellness coaching is also available in Lemonaid. This coaching is a subscription based program through which the user has access to unlimited coaching sessions for the entirety of a month. Through coaching, the user can make positive lifestyle changes such as healthy diets, exercising regularly and even stress management.
It has treatment for anxiety and depression
The two other programs for mental health in Lemonaid are for the mental health conditions, anxiety and depression. Those who are suffering from these mental health conditions can virtually consult a psychiatrist and can have their medications delivered right to their very doorstep.
It deals with a lot of taboo topics
The best thing about Lemonaid is that it deals openly with plenty of taboo topics such as sexual health and mental health, that many other similar platforms shy away from. Users can even find STD testing in Lemonaid as well as treatment for these. There are also features for dealing with men’s health topics such as hair loss and erectile dysfunction.
Primary health care is available
Those who are seeking primary health care in Lemonaid can do so through this platform. This can be availed as a subscription and can be used for the entire family as well. In this feature, the user has continuous access to the therapist and can communicate with them at any given time of the day.
Consultations can be through various formats
The consultations with the medical care providers in Lemonaid can be done so through a number of formats. The doctors can be consulted via chat, via phone sessions or even through video sessions depending on the plan. However, most of the consultations are recommended through the video format.
Pricing of Cerebral
The costs of Cerebral can depend mainly on the type of plan that the user has opted for. The platform offers mainly three types of plans that have various features. These plans and their prices have been described below.
Medication + Care Counseling
In this plan, the user has access to the psychiatry services of Cerebral and costs $195 per month. The patient can consult their prescribers for evaluation purposes or diagnostic purposes and can recommend appropriate medication. The user can also access their care counselor through phone sessions or video sessions.
Coaching only
The Coaching only plan of Cerebral costs the user $145 per month. The platform also offers a discounted rate of $49 for the first month in this plan. The patient can communicate with their behavioral health coaches through video sessions or phone sessions as per their wish. They can also send any number of messages to their coaches.
Medication + Coaching
The Medication + Coaching plan in Cerebral costs $195 per month. Cerebral offers a special discounted price of $79 for the first month of this plan. In this plan, the patient has access to a prescriber as well as the coach. The progress of the patient is also closely monitored by a collaborative approach involving the prescriber and the behavioral health coach.
Pricing of Lemonaid
The costs of Lemonaid can depend on the type of health care that the user requires. The primary health care program can be availed at a cost of $99 per month per user and can increase to $178 if the entire family of the user is involved. The prices for the anxiety and depression treatment are priced at $95 per month.
The Insomnia program in Lemonaid costs $60 per month and is certainly one of the most popular programs on the platform. The Health and Wellness coaching program in Lemonaid is offered at $115 per month. The prices of the various individual medical programs in Lemonaid are mentioned pretty transparently on the website.
Signing up for Cerebral
To sign up for the programs in Cerebral, the user will need to go to the platform’s website or the app and complete the brief emotional assessment that is offered for free. The platform will immediately send the new user a prompt for a video consultation or phone consultation to define the next line of treatment.
Signing up for Lemonaid
The signing up process of Lemonaid is pretty simple. The user can simply go to the platform and fill out a questionnaire about their medical history. The medical professionals in Lemonaid will get back to the user within a day. The type of consultation can depend on the state that the user is residing and can be done via phone or video.
Tips for using Cerebral
Cerebral offers a wide range of features and properties that can be greatly useful for those who are patients of the platform. Some tips to help those who are using this platform for their mental health needs and requirements have been mentioned below.
- To improve the quality and effectiveness of the live video sessions, the user can adjust the camera so that they are in line with the lens. This will help them provide a more natural eye contact that can deepen the quality of communication between them and their prescribers or coaches.
- The platform also offers coaching services for those who require training in behavioral health techniques and coping strategies. Writing these down in a journal or putting them up on a poster can help remind users often of these and encourage them to practice.
- The live therapy sessions can be held in a quiet spot of the house so that the user will not be disturbed or distracted. The user can also use this dedicated space for other self-care activities as well.
Tips for using Lemonaid
Lemonaid is one of the world’s largest telemedicine platforms and offers a large variety of features and services related to mental health care. Some suggestions to help users of this platform have been explained as follows.
- The live video consultations can be a little tricky, especially since the health care professional cannot determine the body language of the user properly. To help them understand better, the user can practice being more expressive of their thoughts and feelings.
- It is also advisable that the user perform a test-run before the actual live session so that they don’t face any technological glitches or buffering during the session.
- The effectiveness of the health and wellness coaching sessions can be improved through the use of daily journaling. In this journal, the user can write down goals for themselves and also record the various strategies that have been provided by the platform.
Personal experiences in Cerebral
Cerebral users have had mostly positive things to say about the platform. Some of their experiences have been explained below.
- Most users have felt that the psychiatry services of the platform are pretty top notch, especially since the medications are delivered directly to the home of the user. The prescribers have also been found to be highly professional and empathetic.
- Many users have complained about the bugs and errors on the platform’s app, making it hard for mobile users to access their therapist or prescriber.
- Some users have also complained about the mental health professionals canceling live sessions without prior notice and leaving the patients high and dry.
- Most users of Cerebral have experienced a positive development in their mental health after using the medications and the therapy services of the platform.
- A few users have also mentioned that the roles of the care counselors are not explained properly and are often confused with therapists, which they are not.
Personal experiences in Lemonaid
The Lemonaid health platform has a rating of 4.9 stars in the Apple apps and a rating of 4.2 in the Google Play store. The users of this platform have had varying experiences, although mostly positive in nature. Some of these have been explored in the points below.
- Most users of Lemonaid have found that the platform responds pretty quickly and provides very fast access to professional medical help.
- Individuals who have used the platform to get access to birth control have mentioned that the process is much simpler than traditional medical care settings.
- However, a few users have experienced a much longer waiting period than the originally stipulated five minutes.
Conclusion
Cerebral and Lemonaid are definitely two great platforms on their own. While comparing these with each other, we need to remember the fact that both of them cater to entirely different populations altogether. While Cerebral offers only mental health care services, Lemonaid offers general medical care and health care facilities.
Cerebral can be used by anyone who requires medication and professional emotional support. The platform also offers several plans for the user to choose from which can include only coaching, only medication or medication and coaching together. The best part is that all the services can be covered by insurance.
Lemonaid is a tele-health platform that makes medical health care easily accessible by anyone. The consultations with doctors for various needs are also pretty affordable, even if insurance coverage is not possible here. Most users have felt that the waiting time in this platform is quite less and thus professional medical opinions can be availed in no time.
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:
Is Lemonaid health a subscription?
Yes and no. While some features of the platform like the treatment for mental health conditions, the health and wellness coaching and even the insomnia program can be availed through subscriptions, other features like doctor consultations need to be paid per visit.
Where is Lemonaid Health located?
Lemonaid Health is headquartered in San Francisco in California. It also has offices in five different areas in the US.
Is Lemonaid discreet?
Yes, Lemonaid is pretty discreet especially while delivering medications to users. These are delivered through very discreet packaging to the very doorstep of the user.
What medication does Cerebral prescribe?
Cerebral prescribes medication for many different mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and even postpartum depression.
Does Cerebral take Tricare?
Yes, Cerebral takes insurance through Tricare. In addition to this, other insurance providers like Aetna, Cigna or Optum are also accepted.
Does Medicare cover Cerebral?
Yes, Medicare or even Medicaid can easily cover the costs of Cerebral. The costs of Cerebral can also be paid for through the users FSA or HSA account.
If you like this post, please leave your comments and questions below.
Citations
https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/cerebral
https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/digital-mental-health-subscription-service-cerebral-lands-35m
https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/lemonaid-health
https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/122106-43
https://golden.com/wiki/Lemonaid_Health-99BE9A9
https://paganresearch.io/details/lemonaid-health
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