Within Health offers online partial hospitalization (PHP) and intensive outpatient (IOP) for a range of eating disorders that earned 4 stars overall during our independent review. They currently serve clients in over 30 states across the United States. Within Health costs $950 per day for PHP and $600 per day for IOP. While Within Health does not accept insurance, they are highly motivated to assist you in using your out-of-network benefits to make care affordable.
Within Health At a Glance
Cost: $950 per day for PHP and $600 per day for IOP
Insurance Accepted? No
Pros & Cons of Within Health
- Virtual partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient treatment
- Treats a range of eating disorders
- Available in 34 US states and Washington D.C.
- Serves teens and adults ages 13 to 70
- A multidisciplinary treatment team of psychiatric providers (PHP only), therapists, dieticians, nurses, and care partners
- Provides meals shipped directly to you
- Support during mealtimes from your treatment team
- iOS app features access to your care team, calendar, meal check-ins, therapy sessions, groups, chat, and other resources.
- Not currently in-network with any health insurance plans
- Cost can be high if you do not have out-of-network benefits
- The admissions process can take one to two weeks
- Psychiatry is only available to clients in the PHP program
Who Is Within Health Right For?
- Teens experiencing eating disorder symptoms
- Older adults experiencing eating disorder symptoms
- Individuals with co-occurring mental health conditions
Preview Within Health
Within Health offers online eating disorder treatment for teens and adults ages 13 to 70 years old. The company provides treatment for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and OSFED. The cost of treatment with Within Health is $950 per day for the partial hospitalization (PHP) program and $600 per day for the intensive outpatient (IOP) program. They are not in-network with any insurance plans but assist with using out-of-network benefits. Within Health currently serves clients in 34 states across the country, with plans to continue to grow.
Within Health also supports people experiencing co-occurring disorders like anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The treatment program serves teens and adults from 13 to 70 years old. Parent or guardian consent is required for teens under 18 years old to sign up. Regardless of the age of the patient, family involvement is strongly encouraged by Within Health. The Within Health patient app features a robust user interface and client experience with tremendous access to the patient’s entire care team.
Within Health ships fresh, healthy meals directly to you and provide you with special equipment, including a numberless scale, for medical monitoring purposes. While Within Health is able to serve a large range of people experiencing symptoms of an eating disorder, it is not right for everyone. Within Health does not treat children under 13 years old and does not offer inpatient hospitalization or residential treatment. Children and anyone requiring a higher level of care for their eating disorder will benefit from an alternative.
Why You Can Trust My Review
Emily Guarnotta is a PsyD. and has been a practicing clinician since 2015. During her time researching Within Health, they scored highest in the “Clientele Served” category because they clearly list which types of patients they accept and what they can treat. However, Within Health underperformed in the “Online Therapy Cost” category because the website does not list any costs for their program and you must call for information.
Review our scoring criteria for online therapy platforms here.
Review our complete editorial policies here.
Within Health Key Takeaways
- Within Health provides online eating disorder treatment for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and OSFED.
- The company serves teens and adults ranging in age from 13 to 70 in 34 states across the country.
- Within Health offers a partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient program.
- When you complete the admissions process with Within Health, you are matched with a multidisciplinary treatment team consisting of a psychiatrist (PHP only), therapist, dietician, nurse, and care partner.
- Within Health ships fresh, healthy meals directly to you and provides you with special equipment, including a numberless scale, for medical monitoring purposes.
- The Within Health patient app features a robust user interface and client experience with tremendous access to the patient’s entire care team (not just a therapist), calendar, meal check-ins, therapy sessions, groups, chat, and other resources. While the app is only available for iOS, Within Health will provide patients with an iOS device for their treatment if they do not have one.
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
What Is Within Health?
Within Health offers online eating disorder treatment for teens and adults ages 13 to 70 years old. The company provides treatment for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and OSFED. The cost of treatment with Within Health is $950 per day for the partial hospitalization (PHP) program and $600 per day for the intensive outpatient (IOP) program. They are not in-network with any insurance plans, but assist with using out-of-network benefits. Within Health currently serves clients in 34 states across the country, with plans to continue to grow.
Within Health offers online intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization treatment for a range of eating disorders. Their multidisciplinary treatment team works with people experiencing anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), and other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED).
Within Health also supports people experiencing co-occurring disorders like anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The treatment program serves teens and adults from 13 to 70 years old. Parent or guardian consent is required for teens under 18 years old to sign up. Regardless of the age of the patient, family involvement is strongly encouraged by Within Health.
The admission process with Within Health begins with an initial consultation phone call, followed by a virtual intake assessment. While you do not need a referral from a primary care provider, you will need to get medical clearance from your provider in order to get admitted. During the admissions process, Within Health’s team will learn about your specific needs and preferences and use this information to build your personalized treatment team and plan.
Depending on factors like the severity of your eating disorder, the admissions team will recommend either intensive outpatient (IOP) or partial hospitalization (PHP). IOP involves three hours of treatment, three to five days per week. PHP involves six hours of treatment, five to seven days per week. The entire admissions process with Within Health typically takes one to two weeks.
After you are admitted to the program, you will receive a welcome kit in the mail, which includes a numberless scale, blood pressure cuff, and thermometer. This allows your treatment team to medically monitor you remotely. Within Health also has an app that is available through the iOS store for clients who are enrolled in their program. This app features a robust user interface and client experience with tremendous access to your entire care team, your calendar, meal check-ins, therapy sessions, groups, chat, and other resources. If you do not have an iOS device, Within Health will provide you with one to use during your treatment.
Within Health offers some unique features that set it apart from other companies, like meal support and medical monitoring. When you enroll in the PHP or IOP programs, Within Health will ship you one to two fresh meals each day of your treatment. Even though Within Health is a virtual program, they are able to offer medical monitoring, which is provided by a nurse.
How Much Does Within Health Cost?
Within Health costs $600 to $950 per day, depending on if you are enrolled in intensive outpatient (IOP) or partial hospitalization (PHP). IOP costs $600 per day and PHP costs $950 per day. These prices includes all appointments and one to two fresh, healthy meals per day shipped directly to you.
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
Does Within Health Accept Insurance?
No, Within Health does not accept any health insurance plans. However, they coordinate directly with insurance companies to secure single-case agreements, assist you in using your out-of-network benefits, and can create payment plans for cash-pay patients.
Out-of-Network Benefits
Yes, Within Health will submit out-of-network claims for you. Prior to starting treatment with Within Health, you will have an opportunity to speak with a member of the admissions team about your financial responsibility and arrange payment. They will help verify your out-of-network coverage and provide you with a breakdown of the costs. Within Health earned 5 stars for their white glove service with out-of-network benefits.
How to Start the Admissions Process at Within Health
Starting the admissions process at Within Health begins with an initial phone consultation. From there, you will meet with the admissions team virtually for an intake and meet with your own healthcare provider to get medical clearance. How long the admission process takes can vary depending on where you are in your treatment process. It can take as little as two to three days to be admitted and up to a few weeks. Within Health strives to ensure you are admitted as quickly as possible to the program that will fit your needs.
- Call Within Health at (866) 523-3014 to speak with an admissions specialist.
- Admissions gathers information about your specific needs, answers any questions, and schedules an online intake assessment.
- Attend an online intake assessment with a Within Health clinician.
- Get medical clearance to participate in online IOP or PHP from your medical provider.
- Attend a family education meeting with your family.
- Plan your admission date to start the program.
- Receive the welcome kit in the mail, which includes a numberless scale, blood pressure cuff, and thermometer.
- Meet with the onboarding team to learn about how to navigate treatment with the Within Health app.
- Start attending the program.
Within Health’s Key Features: Detailed Review
Within Health offers partial hospitalization (PHP) and intensive outpatient (IOP) treatment programs. Their PHP includes six hours of treatment, five to seven days per week, and costs $950 per day. Their IOP includes three hours of treatment, three to five days per week, and costs $600 per day. A typical day of treatment at Within Health consists of individual and group therapy, meal support, medical monitoring, and psychiatric care for those enrolled in PHP.
What Is Therapy Like With Within Health?
Within Health provides therapy from licensed mental health professionals, including counselors and social workers with specialized experience working with eating disorders. During the admissions process, the Within Health team gathers information about your background and preferences and uses this to help match you with a therapist. If you feel like your therapist is not the right fit, you can request a change.
Individual therapy sessions are approximately an hour long and are offered once weekly for IOP and twice weekly for PHP. Group and family therapy sessions are also an integral part of the program. Within Health offers several weekly group therapy sessions on a range of topics related to eating disorders. The Within Health app gives you access to your entire care team, calendar, meal check-ins, therapy sessions, groups, chat, and other resources. This app is only available for iOS devices at this time, but if you do not have one Within Health will actually provide you with one!
Family involvement is a high priority for patients working with Within Health. Families will attend psychoeducation meetings prior to their loved one being admitted into the program. This allows families the opportunity to learn more about what is helpful for those struggling with their disordered eating. Additionally, it is not just familial family members that can attend this meeting or be involved in family therapy sessions. Any person who loves and cares for the person in treatment is eligible to attend sessions.
While, I did not have an opportunity to use the platform myself, I was able to speak to a customer service representative. They provided detailed information about the company and how treatment with Within Health works. One of the aspects of Within Health that stood out the most to me was the intensity of support that they provide. Depending on what program you are in, and your needs, there is an option to attend treatment anywhere from three to seven days per week. After-hours support is also provided, so you can always access a staff member, even in the middle of the night.
Who Is Within Health Right For?
Within Health is right for teens and adults 13-70 experiencing eating disorder symptoms and those experiencing co-occuring mental health conditions with their eating disorders.
Teens Experiencing Eating Disorder Symptoms
Within Health recognizes that many eating disorders begin before adulthood, so offering treatment to teens and their families is important. Teens 13 years and older can participate in Within Health’s PHP or IOP. Family participation is strongly encouraged, but not necessarily required, to help support the teen and address any underlying family issues that may be contributing to the eating disorder.
Both the PHP and IOP programs offer one family therapy session per week. Additionally, Within Health offers family coaching, a monthly family psychoeducation group, and support groups. It is important to note that Within Health encourages family, blood-related or close friends of the patient, to be as involved as possible, as early as possible. Support for patients learning to break away from their disordered eating, especially for young patients like teens, is crucial for them being successful after their program ends.
Older Adults Experiencing Eating Disorder Symptoms
Within Health’s IOP and PHP are also intended for young, middle-aged, and older adults. According to the company, their programs are personalized for each individual, so factors like age, gender and sexual identity, and racial and cultural background are all considered when developing your personal treatment plan.
Those With Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions
While Within Health’s primary focus is eating disorder treatment, they recognize that a large portion of people experiencing eating disorders also have other mental health conditions. This can include anxiety and depressive disorders, OCD, and PTSD. To address this, Within Health’s treatment team will personalize treatment to each client and address any underlying mental health issues.
Who Might Want an Alternative to Within Health?
While Within Health is able to serve a large range of people experiencing symptoms of an eating disorder, it is not right for everyone. Within Health does not treat children under 13 years old and does not offer inpatient hospitalization or residential treatment. Children and anyone requiring a higher level of care for their eating disorder will benefit from an alternative.
Children Experiencing an Eating Disorder
Children under 12 years old cannot sign up for eating disorder treatment with Within Health. However, a great online alternative would be with Equip Health, which treats children, teens, and young adults from six to 24 years of age. Equip Health also treats anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and OSFED.
To learn more about what this platform can offer, you can check our our review of Equip Health.
Individuals Needing Inpatient Hospitalization or Residental Care
Within Health provides virtual treatment and does not have any options for in-person support. Some people experiencing an eating disorder may require a higher level of care, such as inpatient hospitalization or residential treatment. This is true for those experiencing very low body weight, unstable vital signs, or severe medical complications.1 In these cases, an in-person treatment center like the Center for Discovery or the Eating Recovery Center may be a better fit.
Best In-Patient Treatment for Eating Disorders
Recovery.com helps you 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.
Within Health User Reviews
Within Health has a 4.8 star rating out of 21 reviews on the Apple App store. Unfortunately, there are no written reviews of the company online, so we could not see how actual customers felt about the company’s services.
Within Health Vs. Competitors
While Within Health is able to serve a wide range of individuals experiencing an eating disorder, it is not right for everyone. In some cases, one of Within Health’s competitors may be a better fit. Two of the company’s competitors, the Eating Recovery Center and the Center for Discovery, offer in-person treatment options and are in-network with some health insurance plans.
Within Health Vs. Eating Recovery Center
The Eating Recovery Center is based in Denver, Colorado, but has over 35 locations throughout California, Colorado, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Maryland, and Washington. They also offer a virtual IOP program that is available for clients in New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Oregon. The Eating Recovery Center offers treatment for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, OSFED, and diabulimia (diabetic bulimia). Their on-site facilities serve children, teens, and adults 10 years and older, and their virtual IOP is open to ages 12 and up.
One significant difference between the Eating Recovery Center and Within Health is that the Eating Recovery Center offers more levels of care. Their on-site facilities provide inpatient medical stabilization, residential, PHP, and IOP. The cost of treatment varies depending on the level of care. However, unlike Within Health, they are in-network with many health insurance plans, including BCBS, Humana, Cigna, Aetna, and Kaiser.
Overall, the Eating Recovery Center is a better fit for anyone requiring a higher level of care or anyone who would like to use their in-network insurance benefits.
Within Health Vs. Center for Discovery
The Center for Discovery offers in-person and virtual eating disorder treatment for anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and OSFED. They have over 50 locations in New York, California, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Oregon, Texas, Kansas, Maryland, and New Jersey. They also offer online IOP in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington. The Center for Discovery serves children, teens, and adults over 10 years old in age-specific programs.
The most notable differences between the Center for Discovery and Within Health are that the Center for Discovery offers in-person treatment options and more levels of care. The Center for Discovery offers residential care, as well as PHP and IOP. The cost of treatment with the Center for Discovery depends on the specific program. They are in-network with several health insurance plans, making it a more affordable option than Within Health.
Overall, the Center for Discovery may be preferable for anyone preferring in-person or residential treatment or who would like to use their insurance benefits.
Final Verdict on Within Health
Within Health is an online eating disorder treatment program that offers options for PHP and IOP and tailors their approach to each individual person. Based on my research of the platform, it appears that Within Health is able to serve a wide range of individuals experiencing eating disorder symptoms.
The company welcomes teens, adults of all ages, LGTBQ+, and BIPOC individuals. Because Within Health does not have options for in-person treatment, it is only appropriate for those who can be safely treated in a virtual IOP or PHP. Within health is also not in-network with any insurance plans, so those without good out-of-network benefits may find treatment with Within Health to be costly.
History of the Within Health
Within Health was founded by Dr. Wendy Oliver-Pyatt, a board-certified psychiatrist, and Abhilash Patel in 2021. Both Patel and Dr. Oliver-Pyatt are eating disorder survivors themselves who are passionate about expanding access to eating disorder treatment free of stigma and shame. Prior to co-founding Within Health, Dr. Oliver-Pyatt had started several other eating disorder treatment programs, which led her to see a need for virtual treatment options. Patel had also worked within the mental health sphere as co-founder of Recovery Brands.2,3
Since 2021, Within Health has helped many adolescents and adults experiencing a range of eating disorders recover. According to the company, 77% of their clients experienced a decrease in depression and anxiety and 86% reported improvements in their quality of life.4
Frequently Asked Questions About Within Health
What Credentials do Within Health Providers Hold?
Within Health’s treatment team includes a diverse range of multidisciplinary providers, including psychiatric providers, therapists, nurses, case managers, and dieticians. Within Health’s therapists include licensed counselors and social workers who all have experiencing providing evidence-based eating disorder treatment.
How Am I Matched With My Care Team on Within Health?
Within Health’s admissions team will gather information about your background and preferences and use this information to match you with your care team. This care team is a multidisciplinary treatment team that will include a therapist, psychiatric provider, dietician, nurse, and care partner.
Can I Change Therapists?
Yes, you can request to change your therapist. According to Within Health, they will do their best to accommodate a switch, but it depends largely on therapist availability. To request a therapist change you must call the company at (866) 792-0896.
Can I use my FSA or HSA Funds?
Yes, Within Health accepts FSA and HSA cards as a form of payment.
How Do I Stop Treatment with Within Health?
You can stop treatment with Within Health at any time. However, because of the severity of eating disorders, stopping treatment abruptly is not recommended. It is optimal to work with your treatment team on preparing for termination, rather than stopping treatment without any support. To cancel treatment, call Within Health directly at (866) 792-0896.
Does Within Health Offer Refunds?
Within Health does not typically offer refunds, but if you are dissatisfied with the service, you can contact the company at (866) 792-0896.
Is Within Health HIPAA Compliant?
Yes, Within Health is compliant with HIPAA. For more information, see the company’s Privacy Policy, Notice of Privacy Practices, and Terms of Use.
Summary Table of What Within Health Offers
Cost of Online Eating Disorder Therapy | $600 - $950 per day |
Age Limitations | Ages 13 – 70 |
Eating Disorders Treated | Anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and OSFED |
Geographic Coverage | Select states |
Insurance Plans Accepted | Out-of-network |
Provider Choices | Matched |
Can You Change Therapists? | Yes |
Speed to First Appointment | One to two weeks |
Frequency of Appointments | PHP (30 to 42 hours per week) IOP (9 to 15 hours per week) |
Messaging with Therapist Between Appointments | Yes |
Choosing Therapy strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.
-
Crone, C., Fochtmann, L. J., Attia, E., Boland, R., Escobar, J., Fornari, V., … & Medicus, J. (2023). The American Psychiatric Association practice guideline for the treatment of patients with eating disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 180(2), 167-171.
-
Within Health. (n.d.). About the Within care team. Retrieved from: https://withinhealth.com/about-us
-
Flexner, V. (2022, August 23). Her virtual platform provides at-home treatment for eating disorders. The Story Exchange. Retrieved from: https://thestoryexchange.org/wendy-oliver-pyatt-within-health/
-
Within Health. (n.d.). The Within results. Retrieved from: https://withinhealth.com/results
We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.
Author: Emily Guarnotta, PsyD. (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, M.D. (No change)
Primary Changes: Added summary block and star rating breakdown
Author: Emily Guarnotta, PsyD.
Medical Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, M.D.
Your Voice Matters
Leave your own reviews!
Have you used an online therapy company? Have you tried an online psychiatry service? Do you use a meditation or mindfulness app? We’d love to hear about your experience!
We want to hear about the companies you love and the companies you wish you never used.
Leave your feedback for our editors.
Share your feedback on this article with ChoosingTherapy.com’s editors. If there’s something we missed or something we could improve on, we’d love to hear it.
Our writers and editors love compliments, too. :)
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
Recovery.com helps you 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
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.