Online Appointments for Antidepressants

Brightside is available to people 18 years and older in the states where Brightside operates who believe they may be experiencing depression and may benefit from treatment.

Remote care is not a good fit for people with certain conditions or situations. These include (but are not limited to):

• Previous suicide attempt or active suicide planning
• Ongoing, high risk self-harm behavior
• Recent involuntary hospitalization for psychiatric reasons
• Schizophrenia or any symptoms of psychosis
• Bipolar Disorder or any symptoms of mania
• Substance abuse problems
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Eating disorder with high-risk symptoms
• Kidney or liver disease, seizures, or long QT (for Medication plan only)

Our providers do not treat, and do not prescribe for adhd.

If any of these describe you, it’s best for you to be seen by a provider in person so you can get the care that’s right for you.

Brightside makes it easy to get top quality depression care from the privacy of home.

Here’s how Psychiatry works:

1. Take the assessment: Answer questions about yourself to provide the information your provider will need to thoroughly evaluate your situation.
2. Connect with a psychiatric provider: Get matched with an expert psychiatric provider for a comprehensive video consultation. Share how you’re feeling, then decide on the best next steps — together. These conversations normally last about 15 minutes to review your situation, discuss your care plan, and answer any questions you may have. 
3. Follow your care plan: If the provider chooses to prescribe, your medication will be delivered to your door (approximately 5-7 business days after your consultation*) and refills authorized by your provider will arrive monthly. Your plan also includes digital therapy, and self-care tools you can use at your own pace.
4. Make progress: We’ll ask you to tell us about your symptoms and side effects weekly, allowing the provider to monitor your progress and make any necessary changes to your care plan, so you can get the best results.

*IMPORTANT UPDATE: USPS is currently experiencing delays during COVID-19. Your initial prescription may now take up 7-10 days to deliver but any refills should continue to arrive on time. We also know that packages sometimes can be delayed, go missing, or get stolen. If you ever experience delays with receiving a shipment, we always have the option to work with the delivering pharmacy to process a replacement for $15 per medication or call in a partial fill to your local pharmacy for pick up. Send us an email at [email protected] so we can assist you.

Here’s how Therapy works:

1. Take the assessment: Tell us what you’re experiencing, and we’ll help you understand what it means.
2. Connect with a Therapist: Connect with an expert, licensed therapist by messaging and with access to one 30-minute video appointment included with your subscription each week (your first appointment with your therapist will be 45-minutes long). You will continue to have Unlimited messaging support and guidance to help you build skills and feel better.
   
3. Complete sessions: Complete personalized, self-paced audio lessons and practice exercises, building the evidence-based skills and habits you need to overcome your depression and anxiety.
4. Make Progress: Report back on what’s working well for you and where you want to go deeper with the option to purchase additional video sessions if you choose. Your therapist will help guide you through your personalized program so you see the best results.

Brightside’s provider network includes psychiatrists, physicians, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and therapists who are graduates of prominent US medical schools, have several years of experience, and have current licenses to practice in your state. They follow the same high clinical standards as in person care, ranging from psychiatrists, providers, and licensed therapists.

Brightside’s clinical advisory board consists of industry experts from top institutions like Stanford, UCSF, and Yale and oversees our clinical policies and operations.

Brightside currently accepts select insurance plans in various states for payment of your provider’s or therapist’s services. Please see below for a current listing of plans. Brightside may not be included in all plans that each health insurance company offers. Please contact your health insurance plan to verify that your care at Brightside will be covered.

At this time, we accept the below as in-network insurance carriers in select states only:

• Cigna
• Aetna
• Optum/United Healthcare
• Anthem California
• Allegiance
• PEHP
• BCBS TX
• BCBS MT
• Florida Blue

If you are a new member signing up for services you can enter your insurance information during the sign-up process. We’ll let you know you know if we’re active with your insurance plan in your state!

If you are an existing member and want to switch to using insurance, you can make this update directly from Settings in your Portal after logging in. We’ll notify you if we’re active with your insurance plan in your state. Please note that in some cases switching to use insurance may require assigning you to a different Brightside provider. If that is the case, we’ll let you know and ask you to confirm that you are comfortable making that change.

We also accept HSA/FSA payment if you have one of those accounts. If you have questions about using your medical or prescription insurance benefits, please contact us by emailing [email protected].

Depression is a sensitive topic – we follow industry best practices to keep your information private. We encrypt all data using 256 bit SSL security and are HIPAA compliant. Only your prescribing provider will have access to your information.

*If we ever have reason to believe you intend to hurt yourself or others, we may need to share information in line with established safety protocols.

Anxiety and depression are complicated. In order to make sure that you are on the right treatment for you and making progress, we will ask you to do periodic check-ins with us to tell us how you’re doing.

You can use this information to track your progress over time. We’ll also use your responses to help your doctor monitor your care and make any necessary adjustments so you get the best outcome.

If prescribed, your psychiatric provider can send your first prescription to a local pharmacy for your convenience, or to your home. After that, Brightside can conveniently deliver your medication to your door. You don’t have to worry about refills or running out—we’ll send your prescription every month in advance of when you need it.

Psychiatry: If you have a diagnosis of ADHD, our psychiatric providers can offer non-stimulant medications (like Strattera or Intuniv). However, please note that we do not prescribe any controlled substances (like Adderall or Ritalin).

Therapy: Our therapists can treat your ADHD symptoms with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which has been shown to be an effective treatment for ADHD.

Assessment or diagnosis
Brightside Health does not conduct assessments for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). If you’re experiencing symptoms of ADHD, we recommend finding a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist in your community who can conduct an evaluation for you.

Your safety is so important to us. If you are in emotional distress or thinking about hurting yourself at any point, please make use of these resources:

• Visit: If you are having a medical or mental health emergency, call 911 or go to your local emergency department.
• Call or Text: You can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and be connected with a counselor 24/7. Your conversations are free and confidential.

There is always help available. We also recommend reaching out to a family member or friend to let them know that you need help and support.

If this is not a life-threatening emergency, Brightside Health can help. Our Crisis Care program helps individuals who are experiencing suicidal thoughts and feelings and provides hope for the future. Please note that Crisis Care should not be used if you are seriously planning to harm yourself now or in the very near future. In those instances, 988 or 911 are appropriate resources, and we can be here to help in the future. At this time, Crisis Care is only available for individuals with accepted insurance. Please take the free assessment to check your eligibility.