Editorial rating:
Talkiatry is an online psychiatry platform that serves children (6+), teens, and adults that received 3 out of 5 stars overall during our independent review. They offer medication management for a range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Services are currently available in select states, but the company has plans to expand. Talkiatry only accepts clients who are in-network with their insurance. The cost of Talkiatry varies depending on location and insurance coverage.
Rating of Talkiatry’s Online Psychiatry
Emily Guarnotta is a PsyD. that specializes in perinatal and postpartum mood disorders, grief counseling for individuals who suffered a miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss, as well as infertility support and therapy for new parents and seasoned parents. Dr. Guarnotta has written for Choosing Therapy since 2020 and in the summer of 2022 began reviewing online therapy and psychiatry platforms. During her independent review, Talkiatry earned 3 out of 5 stars overall, performing best in the categories of “Geographic Location”, “Provider Matching or Selection”, and “Provider Credentials & Expertise”. However, Talkiatry underperformed in the categories of “Online Psychiatry Cost” and “Insurance & Out-of-Network Benefits” compared to its competitors.
Pros & Cons of Talkiatry
Talkiatry is an online psychiatry platform, with licensed psychiatrists and nurse practitioners available in select states. They offer online medication management for a variety of mental health disorders, including ADHD, for people six years and older. Unfortunately, you can only sign up with Talkiatry if you have an in-network insurance plan and the cost of services will depend on where you live and your insurance coverage. This is why Talkiatry earned 1 star in both the “Online Psychiatry” and “Insurance” categories of our scoring criteria.
How to Sign Up for Talkiatry
To sign up, please visit the Talkiatry website.
What is Talkiatry?
Talkiatry is an online psychiatry platform that offers medication management for children (6+), teens, and adults. With Talkiatry, you are able to attend live video sessions with a licensed psychiatric provider. Therapy is available for existing patients who are already working with a Talkiatry psychiatrist. The cost of Talkiatry depends on your insurance plan and coverage. Talkiatry only works with patients who have in-network health insurance plans.
Talkiatry provides treatment for anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, and insomnia. Talkiatry’s main offering is medication management, with therapy available for existing patients who are actively seeing a psychiatric provider. When you sign up, Talkiatry will match you with potential providers, but you can have the option of selecting a provider of your choosing. Talkiatry’s providers include licensed psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Services are available for children ages six and older, with all children under the age of 18 requiring parent/guardian consent for treatment.
In general, psychiatrists have a reputation for offering quick appointments, with little time for the patient to talk about their concerns or develop rapport with their provider. Talkiatry prides itself on offering longer appointments than what is traditionally offered by other platforms and in-person psychiatrists. An initial evaluation is 60 minutes long and follow-up appointments are 30 minutes. Evening and weekend appointments are also available. Once you sign up, you can expect to schedule an appointment in approximately five days or less. For these reasons, Talkiatry earned 3 stars in the “Psychiatric Appointment Features” category on our scoring criteria.
If your provider decides that you would benefit from medication, they will send a prescription to your local pharmacy, where you can pick it up and either use your insurance or pay out-of-pocket for it. Talkiatry’s psychiatric providers can prescribe medications for depression, medications for anxiety, and insomnia. Talkiatry providers may also prescribe stimulant and non-stimulant medications for ADHD, it depends on the provider and state whether this is an option. Talkiatry does not have its own app, but the company uses a third-party app called Healow for appointments, which is available through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Once you sign up with Talkiatry, the company will send you an email to download and join the app. The Healow app allows you to schedule appointments, attend live video sessions, message your provider, and manage your health records. Unlike other platforms, Talkiatry does not offer any additional in-app features, like journals, progress trackers, or educational videos.
Who Is Talkiatry Right For?
Talkiatry would be great for children and teens needing medication management and those with ADHD seeking a diagnosis and medication. There are many online psychiatry platforms available today, but few are able to provide such an expansive medication management option.
Children & Teens Needing Medication
Talkiatry is one of the few online psychiatry platforms that treats children and teens. Many other well-known online psychiatry platforms, such as Brightside Health, only provide treatment to individuals ages 18 and older. With Talkiatry, children as young as six years old can meet with a psychiatrist via telehealth with their parent or guardian’s consent. Many parents with young children have a hard time finding providers that specialize in child psychiatry, but Talkiatry makes this possible.
People With ADHD Symptoms
Another aspect that makes Talkiatry unique is that all providers are able to treat ADHD in children, ADHD in teens, and adult ADHD. Other online psychiatry platforms do not treat ADHD and instead recommend that people with ADHD seek in-person treatment. If you suspect that you may have ADHD, your Talkiatry psychiatrist will assess your symptoms, make a diagnosis, and prescribe medications, if applicable. If your psychiatrist believes that you may also benefit from therapy, then they can also refer you to a Talkiatry therapist.
Who Might Want an Alternative to Talkiatry?
Talkiatry is a convenient platform for children, teens, and adults seeking online psychiatry for a range of mental health conditions. Those without in-network insurance and those seeking just therapy will benefit from an alternative to Talkiatry.
Anyone Without In-Network Insurance
In order to sign up with Talkiatry, your insurance plan must be in-network, so if you do not have health insurance or are out of network, you cannot use this platform. Talkiatry only works with patients who have in-network insurance plans. If you do not have health insurance or if your plan is out-of-network, you cannot use Talkiatry. I tried to reach out to Talkiatry to see if they ever offer exceptions, but I never received a response back. If you do not have insurance or your insurance is out-of-network, you will want to try another online platform that offers affordable psychiatry services, such as Talkspace or Brightside Health.
To read more about how psychiatric services work with them, you can read our comprehensive review of Talkspace, or our Brightside Health review.
People Who Want to Focus on Just Therapy
Talkiatry’s main offering is medication management and if you are an existing patient, you can speak with your psychiatrist about being referred to a Talkiatry therapist. Otherwise, Talkiatry does not offer a stand-alone therapy option for new clients. If you would like therapy only, then you will have to seek out an alternative online platform, such as MDLive, Amwell, or Calmerry. You can also find an in-person therapist by searching Choosing Therapy’s online therapist directory.
To read more about if their platforms would be a good fit for you, please read our in-depth review of MDLive, our Amwell review, or our Calmerry review.
Talkiatry User Reviews
At the present time, there are very few published reviews of Talkiatry online. Talkiatry has a 2.2-star rating based on 10 reviews on Trust Pilot. The majority of reviewers reported ongoing billing issues and difficulty getting the company to resolve them. One positive reviewer noted that they had a good experience with their psychiatric provider. Despite this, they still rated Talkiatry’s services as “50/50” because they found the onboarding process to be time-consuming.
Caring Providers
The one positive review of Talkiatry’s services reported that they received good quality care from their psychiatric provider. They felt like their provider listened to them and genuinely cared about what they had to say. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the opportunity to attend a live session so I wasn’t able to experience this myself. This reviewer also noted that all of the information that they provided during their online assessment was not available to their provider, so they had to spend time providing all of this information again, which they found frustrating.
Billing Issues
The biggest complaint by far of Talkiatry’s services centered around billing issues. Some customers reported that their insurance was not accepted despite being told it would be and receiving surprise bills after their appointments. They also felt that Talkiatry’s customer service was unhelpful when it came to navigating these billing issues. I also had trouble getting in touch with customer service, so it is not surprising that many customers encountered this and found it very frustrating.
How Much Does Talkiatry Cost?
Talkiaty costs depend on your specific health insurance plan and coverage. Unlike many other online psychiatry platforms, Talkiatry does not have a set appointment fee or subscription service. Talkiatry only accepts patients who have in-network insurance plan. Before you schedule an appointment, Talkiatry will let you know whether they accept your insurance, if you have a deductible or copay, and how much your total out-of-pocket cost will be.
Does Talkiatry Accept Insurance?
Yes, Talkiatry accepts insurance. Coverage varies depending on the specific plan and state. Talkiatry is in-network with Aetna, Bind, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, ComPsych, Humana, Medicare, Oscar, United Healthcare, and Oxford. Talkiatry makes it easy to verify whether your health insurance plan is in-network. To do so, visit the insurance page of their website and enter in your plan information.
Out-of-Network Benefits
Talkiatry only sees patients who have in-network insurance plans. If you do not have health insurance or if your plan is out-of-network, you cannot sign up with Talkiatry. We attempted to contact Talkiatry several times to find out if they offer any exceptions, but we never received a response back.
How Does Talkiatry Work?
If you your insurance is in-network, Talkiatry can help you get prescribed medication fast. In as little as 10 minutes, you can get matched with a provider and schedule your first appointment in five days or less. During your initial appointment, your psychiatric provider will conduct a thorough assessment and determine whether you would benefit from medication. If your provider decides to prescribe medication, it will be sent to your local pharmacy for you to pick up.
To get prescribed medication, you will need to:
- Complete the online assessment
- Verify your insurance coverage
- View the list of matched providers
- Select a provider
- Schedule your first appointment
- Attend your appointment and get diagnosed
- Get a prescription for medication sent to your pharmacy
- Pick up your medication from your local pharmacy
- Schedule follow-up appointments as needed based on your treatment plan
Talkiatry Online Psychiatry: Detailed Review
Talkiatry’s primary service is medication management, with therapy available for existing patients. With Talkiatry, you can meet with a psychiatric provider or therapist via live video. The company prides itself on offering high-quality care and having its providers take their time with patients. The cost of psychiatry and therapy with Talkiatry depends on where you live and your specific insurance plan.
Talkiatry offers medication management for children, teens, and adults over age six via the Healow app. Consent from a parent or guardian is required for children and teens under 18 years old. When you sign up, you initially get matched with a provider, but you also have the option to view other providers and select your own. Talkiatry’s network of providers includes licensed psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. It typically takes five days or less to schedule an appointment. Unfortunately, I was not able to try this out myself because Talkiatry did not accept my insurance plan and I was unable to get ahold of customer service to see if I could self-pay. Talkiatry earned 1 star in “Customer Service” due to how hard they were to get ahold of.
The first step in getting prescribed medications begins with the initial 60-minute evaluation. During the initial evaluation, your provider will gather information about your history and current symptoms and discuss whether medication is right for you. If they choose to prescribe medication, then it will be sent to your local pharmacy for you to pick up. You are responsible for covering the cost of medication, which will depend on your insurance coverage. Your provider will discuss how many refills they will give you and how often they would like to see you for follow-up appointments. Follow-up appointments are approximately 30 minutes long. Compared to other online psychiatry platforms and many in-person providers, Talkiatry provides longer appointment times.
If you have any questions about your medication or treatment, or need to get a hold of your provider in between appointments, you can message them securely through the Healow app. You can expect a response back within 48 hours. If your psychiatric provider feels like you could benefit from talk therapy, then they will refer you to a Talkiatry therapist. Therapy with Talkiatry is only available to existing patients who are also participating in medication management.
Talkiatry Vs. Competitors
Talkiatry differs from its competitors in a number of ways. Compared to other online mental health treatment platforms, Talkiatry serves a larger age range and offers longer appointment times. Comparing costs between Talkiatry and its competitors is not feasible, since Talkiatry’s costs vary depending on location, insurance coverage, and service. While Talkiatry requires that you have in-network insurance to sign up, many of its competitors offer the ability to pay out-of-pocket for those who are out-of-network or do not have insurance.
Talkiatry Vs. Cerebral
Cerebral is a subscription-based service that offers medication management and therapy for people experiencing mental health, substance use disorders, and eating disorders. Similar to Talkiatry, Cerebral is in-network with many health insurance plans. You can also pay out-of-pocket for Cerebral. Cerebral’s subscription plans cost $99-$325 per month depending on the specific plan.
One key difference between Cerebral and Talkiatry is the age ranges that they serve. Cerebral is only available to adults over age 18, while Talkiatry accepts children as young as six years old with a parent or guardian’s consent. Cerebral also offers much shorter appointments than Talkiatry. Psychiatry appointments with Cerebral are only 15 to 30 minutes, while therapy appointments are 45 minutes. With Cerebral you can purchase a therapy subscription plan without medication if you wish.
Overall, Cerebral is a better fit for people experiencing substance use and eating disorders, anyone who wants therapy without medication, and people without insurance or who have out-of-network coverage. On the other hand, Talkiatry is better for those wanting longer appointments and children and teens in need of medication management. To learn everything about their subscription-based services, please read our comprehensive review of Cerebral.
Talkiatry Vs. Amwell
Like Talkiatry, Amwell offers medication management and therapy for people experiencing a range of mental health conditions via live video sessions. Amwell costs $109 to $279 per appointment depending on the type of service and provider. Like Talkiatry, Amwell is in-network with most major health insurance companies, so actual costs may be lower. Unlike Talkiatry, you can pay out-of-pocket for Amwell if you do not have insurance or are out-of-network.
Compared to Amwell, Talkiatry serves a larger age range. Amwell provides medication management for adults over age 18 and therapy for children, teens, and adults over age 10. Amwell has providers throughout the United States, while Talkiatry only serves 30 states across the country at this time. Medication management visits with Amwell are also shorter than Talkiatry. With Talkiatry, you can expect to meet with your psychiatric provider for 30 to 60 minutes, but with Amwell, appointments range between 15 and 45 minutes.
Overall, Amwell is preferable if you are not using insurance or are out-of-network, while Talkiatry is preferable for children and anyone who prefers more thorough and longer appointments with a psychiatrist. To learn about all the mental health services they offer, please read our in-depth review of Amwell.
How Talkiatry Has Evolved
Talkiatry was founded in April, 2020 by Robert Krayn and Dr. Georgia Gaveras. Mr. Krayn was a patient who personally experienced the challenges of finding quality psychiatric care and Dr. Gaveras is a triple board-certified psychiatrist. The company’s goals were to increase access to quality outpatient psychiatric care by making telehealth accessible and affordable. In 2021, the company received $5 million in funding to expand its mission. Since its founding, Talkiatry has partnered with several major commercial health insurance plans and Medicare. Currently, Talkiatry has over 400 psychiatrists, serves patients in 30 states, and has partnered with more than 60 insurance plans, with plans to continue to expand their network and reach.1, 2
Currently, Talkiatry is one of the few online psychiatry platforms that prescribes controlled medications for ADHD. Before 2020, laws required that patients and providers must have face-to-face visits before controlled medications like stimulants could be prescribed. In March, 2020, an emergency waiver went into effect that temporarily allowed providers to prescribe controlled medications during telehealth visits. The waiver has continued to be extended, but companies like Talkiatry are concerned that thousands of patients could lose access to their controlled medications if the exemption is revoked.
Some online psychiatric platforms, like Cerebral, have faced controversy over their online prescribing practices, but Talkiatry has managed to avoid lawsuits and controversy. In January 2023, Talkiatry’s CEO Robert Krayn spoke out about this and cautioned that revoking this exemption could affect thousands of patients. In the meantime, Talkiatry plans to continue to grow and offer high quality psychiatric care to patients with a variety of mental health diagnoses.3
Frequently Asked Questions About Talkiatry
Who is Eligible for Medication?
Talkiatry provides medication management to children, teens, and adults ages six and older.
What Medications are Available?
Talkiatry states that it offers medications to treat a range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, and ADHD. If appropriate, Talkiatry providers can prescribe controlled medications, including stimulants for ADHD.
Where is Medication Management Available?
Talkiatry is currently available in 30 states across the United States, including New York, California, Florida, Texas, and Washington. The company is constantly growing and adding additional states to its network. To see if Talkiatry is available in your state, visit their locations page.
How Much Do Medications Cost?
If your psychiatric provider decides to prescribe medication, then your prescription will be sent to your local pharmacy for pick-up. The cost of medication is not included in Talkiatry’s fees, so you will have to pay out-of-pocket or use your health insurance.
Can I use my FSA or HSA Card?
It is unclear if Talkiatry accepts HSA or FSA cards as a form of payment. We tried to contact the company to find out, but they did not respond to our emails and phone calls.
How Can I Cancel My Account with Talkiatry?
To cancel your account with Talkiatry, you must reach out to the company directly. You can contact them by phone at 1-833-351-8255 (TALK) or by email at [email protected].
Does Talkiatry Offer Refunds?
It is unclear if Talkiatry offers refunds. If you have a question about getting a refund, you can call Talkiatry at 1-833-351-8255 (TALK) or email the company at [email protected].
Is Talkiatry HIPAA Compliant?
Yes, Talkiatry is HIPAA compliant. To learn more, you can read Talkiatry’s privacy policy, Talkiatry’s terms of use, and Talkiatry’s notice of privacy practices.
Final Verdict on Talkiatry
Talkiatry offers medication management and therapy for children, teens, and adults in select states across the country. This platform is ideal for people seeking online psychiatry who have in-network insurance coverage. Though Talkiatry serves a large age range and variety of mental health conditions, they received one star for their customer service based on the company’s reviews and my own experience. Overall, Talkiatry may be worth a try if your insurance coverage is in-network and you accept that you may have trouble getting in touch with the company and their customer service team.
Summary Table of What Talkiatry Offers
| Provider Choices | Matched or Self-Select |
| Cost of Initial Appointment | Covered by Insurance |
| Cost of Follow-up Appointment | Covered by Insurance |
| Cost of Medication | Covered by Insurance |
| Refill Requirements | Appointment w/ Provider |
| How to Get Prescriptions | Local Pharmacy |
| Speed to First Appointment | Depends on Location & Provider Availability |
| Geographic Coverage | Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., Wisconsin, West Virginia |
| Age Limitations | 6 years and olders |
| Prescriber | Psychiatrists & PMHNPs |
