Editorial rating:
Equip Health provides evidence-based online treatment for eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), and binge eating disorder. During our independent review of Equip Health, they earned 4.5 out of 5 stars overall. The company serves anyone aged 5 years and older throughout the United States via live video sessions. Treatment costs with Equip Health range from $2,500 – $4,000 monthly; however, they accept and are covered by almost every commercial insurance plan in the US.
Equip: Eating Disorder Treatment That Works – Delivered At Home
Eating disorder treatment is hard – which is why you deserve a team. Equip offers evidence-based care delivered virtually by a five-person care team, so you can achieve recovery without pressing pause on your life. We take insurance! Visit Equip
Rating of Equip Health’s Online Eating Disorder Treatment
Dr. Emily Guarnotta is a licensed clinical psychologist and Certified Perinatal Mental Health Provider (PMH-C) in New York State. After her comprehensive review, Equip earned 4 and 5-star ratings across all categories. This makes Equip Health’s Online Eating Disorder Treatment Program the first of its kind to score a 4.5-star rating from Choosing Therapy.
Pros & Cons of Equip Health
Equip Health is a comprehensive online treatment program for eating disorders. The company offers evidence-based treatment for a range of eating disorders provided by a multidisciplinary treatment team. While the care provided is excellent, the out-of-pocket costs of Equip Health are high, and the admissions process may feel lengthy.
Equip Health Key Takeaways
- Equip Health offers online evidence-based treatment for a range of eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, ARFID, and binge eating disorder.
- Anyone aged 5 years or older is eligible for online eating disorder treatment with Equip Health.
- While the out-of-pocket costs with Equip Health range from $2,500 to $4,000 monthly, they do accept and are covered by almost all forms of insurance in the US. Additionally, Equip Health never wants cost to be a barrier to care and encourages all to reach out, even if they are uninsured.
- When you start treatment with Equip Health, you will be matched with a five-person treatment team consisting of a medical provider, therapist, dietician, peer mentor, and family mentor.
- Treatment involves regular virtual appointments with your five-person care team. The length and frequency of appointments depend on each patient’s unique treatment plan.
- The intake process with Equip Health begins with a phone call with the intake department – certain insurances may require a referral from a primary care provider. The entire admissions process takes between one to two weeks.
Final Verdict on Equip Health
Overall, Equip Health is a great choice for anyone 5 years and older struggling with mild to moderate anorexia, bulimia, ARFID, and binge eating disorders. Equip Health offers a unique approach to eating disorder treatment and makes treatment more accessible through a virtual multidisciplinary team of specialists. Equip can even manage co-occurring mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and OCD.
While we did not have a chance to use Equip Health as patients, we connected with several employees at the company. Everyone we talked to at Equip exudes compassion and empathy for the patients entering their program. Their large team of therapists, medical providers, dieticians, and peer mentors makes Equip one of the best virtual online eating disorder treatment programs in the US.
Eating Disorder Help
Eating Disorder Treatment That Works – Delivered At Home. Eating disorder treatment is hard – which is why you deserve a team. Equip offers evidence-based care delivered virtually by a five-person care team, so you can achieve recovery without pressing pause on your life. We take insurance! Get a Consultation
Best In-Patient Treatment For Eating Disorders – Find the best local eating disorder treatment center for you. See personalized results and reviews to find the best treatment center covered by your insurance. Start Your Search
Affordable, Online Therapy – Are you or a loved one experiencing eating disorder symptoms? Get help from a licensed therapist. Betterhelp offers online therapy starting at $65 per week. Free Assessment
What Is Equip Health?
Equip Health offers online treatment for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), and other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFED). They are available throughout the US and can serve anyone 5 years and older. Your treatment team will generally consist of therapists, physicians, dieticians, and mentors. Equip Health does offer a cash pay option, but almost all major health insurance plans are accepted.
Equip Health specializes in virtual outpatient eating disorder treatment. The company provides care for anyone 5 years and older who are diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, avoidant and restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), binge eating disorder, and other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED).
Equip Health’s providers tailor their treatments to each patient and utilize a variety of evidence-based modalities, like Family Based Treatment, Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-E), Cognitive Behavior Therapy-Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake, Dialectic Behavioral Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention therapy, and more. Regardless of the type of therapy the patient receives, family members are encouraged to participate actively in treatment and as needed.
The admissions process with Equip Health will generally begin with a phone call to the company’s intake department. You will first discuss the billing arrangements, and depending on your insurance type, you may need a referral from a primary care physician. The admissions team explained to us that certain insurance companies require a referral while others do not.
The admissions process can feel lengthy, with everything taking around one to two weeks to fully process. However, at the end of the process, you will be matched with a multidisciplinary team of treatment providers. These providers will be medical doctors, therapists, dieticians, and mentors. If, for whatever reason, you are ever unhappy with one of your providers, you can request a change at any time. Patients with Equip can select their own appointment times and their length of time, like a short check-in.
For patients that present with a co-occurring condition, such as anxiety, depression, or OCD, Equip’s medical providers are well-versed in psychiatric medications. While there is no age limit for who is eligible for medications, those under 18 will need to weigh the risks to benefits of the medication. Generally, most patients with Equip that require medication will start with SSRIs, but some patients may qualify for medications like Abilify or Seroquel.
While Equip Health does not have an app, the company’s website offers helpful educational material for patients and family members. Family members can access the free family toolkit, which discusses the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder, how to talk to a loved one about their eating disorder, and questions to consider before getting treatment. Depending on the patient’s specific treatment plan and age, this involvement may include attending some appointments with the patient. Additionally, all supports have the option of meeting with their family mentor and attending group classes throughout treatment to receive education and skills-based support.
Family members can also attend free weekly family support groups via Zoom. You do not need to have a family member in treatment with Equip Health to participate in the weekly family support groups. There is a great blog page and resource page on Equip Health that provides valuable information for families. All articles are informative about a wide range of topics and questions related to eating disorders and their treatment.
How Much Does Equip Health Cost?
Equip Health costs $4,000 for the first four months, then $2,500 monthly out-of-pocket. These costs may be significantly less if you use in-network insurance, and they accept and are covered by almost every commercial insurance plan in the US.
Equip Health’s online eating disorder treatment plans include:
- Five-person, multidisciplinary team of therapists, physicians, dieticians, and mentors
- One-on-one meetings with each team member weekly
- Five appointments in total for each week
- Free family toolkit, articles, and resources on the Equip Health website.
Equip: Eating Disorder Treatment That Works – Delivered At Home
Eating disorder treatment is hard – which is why you deserve a team. Equip offers evidence-based care delivered virtually by a five-person care team, so you can achieve recovery without pressing pause on your life. We take insurance! Visit Equip
Does Equip Health Accept Insurance?
Yes, Equip Health is in-network with select mental health insurance plans. The following list is not exhaustive and Equip continues to strive toward accepting more insurance plans.
Some insurance plans Equip Health accepts include:
- Aetna
- Anthem
- Cigna
- Horizon
- Magellan Health
- Moda Health
- Optum
- Pacific Source
- Partnership
- United Healthcare
- Carelon
- Regence
Out-of-Network Benefits
According to Equip Health, they are not able to provide a superbill (itemized bill) for those with out-of-network insurance.
What Is The Admissions Process Like With Equip Health?
There are two ways to start the admissions process with Equip Health. The first way is you complete the secure, HIPAA-compliant Equip Health callback form on their website. You can expect a callback within three business days or schedule a 20-minute consultation. Unfortunately, when I attempted to schedule a consultation, the soonest appointment I could get was a week later.
Equip Health Key Features: Detailed Review
Equip Health offers virtual outpatient eating disorder treatment for anyone 5 years and older. After completing the admissions process, you will be matched with a five-person treatment team. Equip Health costs $4,000 for the first four months and $2,500 for future months, if you need to pay out-of-pocket. Currently, they accept many major health insurance plans, which would lower your costs.
What Is Eating Disorder Treatment Like With Equip Health?
Equip Health’s treatment team will tailor their plans to each patient and utilize a variety of evidence-based modalities, such as Family Based Treatment, Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy-Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake, Dialectic Behavioral Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention therapy, and more.
Patients in Equip’s program can generally expect to have an appointment or session at least five days a week. This is very typical for a virtual intensive outpatient therapy (IOP) program, such as this. IOP’s are a higher level of care than traditional therapy, therefore how many hours a week you attend your therapies depends on your personal needs. This is the same for virtual IOP programs. Your treatment team with Equip will do what they can to accommodate your regular schedule and plan your appointments accordingly. Regardless of the schedule, family members are encouraged to participate actively throughout your treatment and as needed.
Equip holds family as an integral part of their treatment plans, and they invite all patients to bring in their family and chosen family of all configurations into treatment. This can mean your parents and siblings, your spouse, a friend, coaches, or even coworkers can help support you. Depending on your specific treatment plan and age, this support may include attending some appointments with you and your treatment team. Additionally, all supporters can meet with the family mentor and attend group classes throughout treatment to receive education and skills-based support.
Family members can also attend free weekly family support groups via Zoom. You do not need to have a family member in treatment with Equip Health to participate in the weekly family support groups. There is a great blog page and resource page on Equip Health that provides valuable information for families. All articles are informative about a wide range of topics and questions related to eating disorders and their treatment.
While we did not meet the criteria to be admitted to the program with Equip Health, both Emily Guarnotta, PsyD, and Caitlin Bell, MA, had the opportunity to talk with several people at the company. When we had questions they could not answer, we were given an email address and were able to reach out there. Everyone was very responsive and helpful throughout our time reviewing Equip Health.
Who Is Equip Health Right For?
Equip Health would be a good fit for young adults, families, and anyone with an eating disorder with a co-occurring condition.
Young Adults Experiencing An Eating Disorder
Equip Health is ideal for young adults seeking online eating disorder treatment. The company’s providers are able to treat a range of eating disorders. Adults ages 18+ can sign themselves up for the service and get connected to a five-person treatment team within two weeks. This would be an ideal way for those far from home, such as college students, to receive needed care for their disorder eating.
Families Seeking Treatment For Kids or Teens
Equip Health serves children and teens starting at age five using a range of therapy modalities. Parents of young children or teens experiencing eating disorders will be able to complete the admissions process, enroll their child with Equip Health, and get assigned to a therapist, medical provider, dietician, family mentor, and peer mentor. During treatment, family members learn how to create a home environment that supports recovery. Family members will also learn how to communicate with their loved ones and handle difficult situations, like mealtimes.
Eating Disorders & Co-occurring Conditions
Eating disorders rarely exist by themselves, and Equip Health offers comprehensive treatment for other mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The five-person treatment team that you are assigned to is qualified to help address a range of mental health disorders to help ensure a full recovery.
Is your eating disorder being made worse by OCD?
Almost half of people with eating disorders also have OCD. Intrusive thoughts, including constantly thinking about food or your body, may be a sign of OCD. NOCD Therapists specialize in treating OCD and have an understanding of eating disorders. To learn more about receiving an OCD diagnosis and treatment options, schedule a free 15 minute call. NOCD is covered by many insurance plans. Visit NOCD
Who Might Want an Alternative to Equip Health?
As a virtual eating disorder treatment provider, Equip Health is not right for everyone, especially for those requiring hospitalization.
Anyone Requiring Hospitalization
Eating disorders can range in severity, with some people requiring a higher level of care, such as inpatient hospitalization or residential treatment. This is true for anyone who is severely malnourished, not medically stable, or who is experiencing suicidal ideation. 1
Virtual outpatient treatment, like what is offered by Equip Health, is not appropriate for people in these cases. If you are seeking a higher level of care for yourself or someone else, you can reach out to your medical provider or contact the National Alliance for Eating Disorders at 866-662-1235 for assistance.
Equip Health User Reviews
Currently, there are no published reviews on Equip Health available. We could not find any information on how actual customers felt about the company’s services.
Equip Health Vs. Competitors
With Equip Health, you get access to five hours of virtual outpatient treatment per week from a team of providers. However, some people may prefer in-person treatment or require a higher level of care. Anyone seeking more intensive eating disorder care would benefit from an alternative, such as Within Health or the Center for Discovery.
Equip Health Vs. Within Health
Within Health is an alternative eating disorder treatment program that offers virtual partial hospitalization (PHP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP). Like Equip Health, Within Health provides treatment for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and OSFED. Within Health is currently available in most, but not all states, but has plans to expand its reach. It serves teens and adults ages 13 to 70.
As mentioned in our Within Health review, it is a more intensive program format than Equip Health and the costs reflect this. However, Within does accept some insurance plans which could lower the costs. Within’s PHP treatment option offers six hours of treatment, five to seven days per week and costs $950 daily. Their IOP option offers three hours of treatment, three to five days per week and costs $600 daily. The cost includes healthy, fresh meals delivered to you each week, which your treatment team will incorporate into your treatment.
Overall, Within Health is a better fit for teens and adults who require a higher level of care than Equip Health is able to offer.
Equip Health Vs. Center for Discovery
The Center for Discovery has been offering mental health treatment for over 25 years. The Center for Discovery’s eating disorder program is an alternative option for those wanting in-person treatment or anyone who requires a higher of care. There are several locations throughout the United States offering residential, partial hospitalization (PHP), and intensive outpatient (IOP) for eating disorders. Like Equip Health, treatment for co-occurring disorders is also offered.
Much like our Center for Discovery review mentions, costs with them are significantly more than Equip Health. This is because it offers more intensive treatment in-person treatment and also includes all meals. The cost of residential treatment is approximately $3,000 daily. PHP costs around $1700 daily and IOP costs $1000 daily. The Center for Discovery accepts most major health insurance plans.
Overall, the Center for Discovery is a better option for anyone who requires a higher level of care or prefers in-person treatment.
Struggling with your relationship with food?
Do you find yourself constantly thinking about food or your body? It can be exhausting to have these thoughts. The good news is: you don’t have to feel this way. Take the first step towards healing by taking Equip’s free, confidential eating disorder screener. Learn more
History of Equip Health
Equip Health was founded in 2019 by Dr. Erin Parks and Kristina Saffran. Both co-founders dedicated their careers to eating disorder awareness and treatment after having experienced eating disorders themselves.2 In 2022, Equip Health participated in a study on virtual family-based treatment (FBT) for eating disorders. The study, which was published in Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, found that virtual FBT helps reduce eating disorder symptoms in children, teens, and young adults.3
That same year, Equip Health raised $58 million in funding, which allowed the company to expand its reach. Katie Couric Media is one of many investors who support the company’s mission of making evidence-based eating disorder treatment more accessible.4 Since its founding, Equip Health has grown to serve all 50 states and has an extensive multi-disciplinary staff consisting of therapists, medical providers, dieticians, and family and peer mentors.
Frequently Asked Questions About Equip Health
What Credentials Do Equip Health Providers Hold?
Equip Health’s mental health providers are licensed and hold doctorate or master’s degrees in psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, or a related field. Their medical team includes licensed physicians, physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, medical assistants, and registered dieticians. All of the providers that work with Equip Health are trained in treating eating disorders and receive regular weekly supervision.
How Am I Connected With the Providers on Equip Health?
Equip Health’s team will match you with a multidisciplinary treatment team. During the intake process, you will have a chance to share any preferences, which will be used to match you with the right providers.
Can I Request Treatment Team Changes?
Yes, you can request new treatment team members at any time. You will have to contact Equip Health by phone at 855-387-4378 to discuss a switch.
Can I use my FSA or HSA Funds?
Yes, you can use FSA or HSA funds to pay for treatment with Equip Health.
How Do I Stop Treatment with Equip Health?
We highly discourage you from stopping your eating disorder treatment early. However, if you do need to stop treatment early, you must call 855-387-4378 to talk with someone.
Does Equip Health Offer Refunds?
According to Equip Health, if you stop treatment after paying for the month, you will be refunded for your unused services. To request a refund or to learn more, contact Equip Health directly at 855-387-4378.
Is Equip Health HIPAA Compliant?
Yes, Equip Health adheres to the guidelines of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). For more information, please read the Equip Health Privacy Policy and Equip Health Terms of Use.
Cost of Online Eating Disorder Therapy | $4,000 first four months* $2,500 future months* *Insurance is accepted |
Age Limitations | Ages 5+ |
Eating Disorders Treated | Anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and OSFED |
Geographic Coverage | All of the US |
Insurance Plans Accepted | Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, Horizon, Magellan Health, Moda Health, Optum, Pacific Source, Partnership, United Healthcare, Carelon, Regence* *With More to Come |
Provider Choices | Matched |
Request New Treatment Members? | Yes |
Length of Admissions Process | Approximately 1-2 weeks |
Frequency of Appointments | 5 appointments per week |
Messaging with Team Between Appointments | Yes |
Additional Resources
To help our readers take the next step in their mental health journey, Choosing Therapy has partnered with leaders in mental health and wellness. Choosing Therapy is compensated for marketing by the companies included below.
Eating Disorder Treatment
Eating Disorder Treatment That Works – Delivered At Home. Eating disorder treatment is hard – which is why you deserve a team. Equip offers evidence-based care delivered virtually by a five-person care team, so you can achieve recovery without pressing pause on your life. We take insurance! Get a Consultation
In-Patient Treatment For Eating Disorders
Find the best local eating disorder treatment center for you. See personalized results and reviews to find the best treatment center covered by your insurance. Start Your Search
Online Talk Therapy
Are you or a loved one experiencing eating disorder symptoms? Get help from a licensed therapist. Betterhelp offers online therapy starting at $65 per week. Free Assessment
Eating Disorders & OCD
Is your eating disorder being made worse by OCD? Almost half of people with eating disorders also have OCD. Intrusive thoughts, including constantly thinking about food or your body, may be a sign of OCD. NOCD Therapists specialize in treating OCD and have an understanding of eating disorders. To learn more about receiving an OCD diagnosis and treatment options, schedule a free 15 minute call. NOCD is covered by many insurance plans. Visit NOCD
For Further Reading
Best Online Therapy Services
There are a number of factors to consider when trying to determine which online therapy platform is going to be the best fit for you. It’s important to be mindful of what each platform costs, the services they provide you with, their providers’ training and level of expertise, and several other important criteria.
Eating Disorders: Types, Treatments & How To Get Help
If you or a loved one are dealing with an eating disorder, know you’re not alone. Treatment can significantly help improve thought patterns and symptoms that can contribute to eating disorders, and having a robust care team can be an effective prevention strategy long-term.