Short answer: Sesame Care is our closest direct competitor. Both services are flat-fee, cash-pay, no-subscription telehealth. Sesame is a nationwide marketplace where licensed clinicians list their own services and prices, starting around $34–$37 per visit. Bidwell is a focused $45 flat practice in 12 states handling just six conditions: UTI, BV, yeast, ED, hair loss, and bridge refills. Sesame wins on scale and nationwide reach; Bidwell wins on depth, named providers, and predictable pricing. Both are legitimate.
Sesame Care is a nationwide cash-pay telehealth marketplace launched in 2018. Licensed U.S. clinicians — physicians, NPs, PAs, therapists, dermatologists, specialists — list individual services with individual prices on the platform, and patients book directly. Virtual urgent care starts around $34, telehealth visits start around $37, and mental health and specialty services have their own price bands. Sesame Plus, their membership ($10.99/month or $99/year), gets members $10 off most visits. Costco members also get special pricing tiers.
Sesame isn't a subscription service in the traditional sense — you pay per visit. The marketplace model means prices vary by clinician, and the experience differs depending on whether you pick a $34 urgent-care clinician or a $99 specialist. Sesame is also not a focused practice; it's a directory of independent providers across dozens of condition categories.
Bidwell Health is a small Florida-based APRN-owned telehealth practice founded by Bidwell Cranage, APRN, FNP-C, with Ashley Cranage, APRN, FNP-C, as a second provider. We're licensed in 12 states. Every visit is a flat $45 one-time fee — no subscription, no membership, no auto-renewal. We treat exactly six things: UTIs, BV, yeast infections, ED, hair loss, and prescription bridge refills for stable non-controlled chronic medications.
Bidwell is not a marketplace. You don't pick a provider from a list — you get one of the two named APRNs. Bidwell is not nationwide. It's not a large catalog. It's a deliberately narrow practice.
Both services are flat-fee. The difference is that Sesame's price varies by individual clinician, while Bidwell's is always $45 regardless of provider or condition.
| Sesame Care | Bidwell Health | |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual urgent care visit | From $34 | $45 flat per visit |
| Telehealth visit (standard) | From $37 (typical ~$47) | $45 flat per visit |
| Primary care visit | From ~$29 (Costco Plus) to $79 | $45 flat per visit |
| Specialist / mental health | $50–$99 typical | Not offered |
| Sesame Plus membership (optional) | $10.99/mo or $99/yr for $10 off | No membership |
| Bridge refill | Available as individual provider service | Flat $45, 90-day supply, dedicated product |
| Medication | Sent to your pharmacy | Sent to your pharmacy (often $4–$15 with GoodRx) |
| Insurance accepted? | No — cash pay | No — cash pay |
| FSA / HSA eligible? | Yes | Yes |
Sesame pricing reflects publicly reported rates as of April 2026 (SesameCare telehealth pricing, How Sesame works, Choosing Therapy Sesame Care review 2026). Prices vary by clinician, state, and promotions.
Sesame's virtual urgent care starts at $34 and is available nationwide 24/7. For a single UTI where you just need an antibiotic, Sesame is typically the cheapest option. Broad provider pool means short wait times.
Bidwell UTI: $45 flat, same prescription-to-pharmacy workflow, licensed APRNs. A few dollars more per visit, but you know exactly who's reviewing your intake. If UTI is your only concern, Sesame edges us on price; if you have a UTI plus a refill or an ED script the same month, our flat $45 is the better bundle.
Sesame has clinicians offering ED consults starting around $25–$50 depending on provider. Search, pick a clinician, book, prescription to your pharmacy.
$45 flat, our own providers handle ED. Generic sildenafil 20mg is often $4–$20 at most U.S. pharmacies with GoodRx. Comparable pricing, different experience — at Sesame you browse clinicians, at Bidwell you know you're getting Bidwell or Ashley.
Sesame has finasteride consults available. Pricing varies by provider.
$45 flat finasteride visit, filled at your pharmacy. Generic finasteride 1mg is often $10–$20/month at Costco or Walmart with GoodRx. Nearly identical value between the two.
Sesame's bigger advantage: you can book a dermatologist, a cardiologist, a therapist, a primary-care physician, a gynecologist. Specialty care is simply not in Bidwell's catalog. If you want any of that, Sesame is the answer.
Sesame offers therapy visits and psychiatric medication management through individual providers. Bidwell does not offer mental health services.
This is where the two services diverge most clearly. Sesame does offer prescription-refill visits through some of its providers — it's available on the platform, and it's legitimate. But it's not a dedicated product line. You search for "refill," pick a clinician, each one has their own pricing and intake style, and the experience varies. Bidwell's $45 bridge refill is a purpose-built product: dedicated intake form, clear list of 15 covered medications, 90-day prescription standard, same-day turnaround in business hours. If a bridge refill is your use case, Bidwell is designed for it. If you just want a single ad-hoc refill visit and don't live in our states, Sesame works.
Both services are fast by design. Sesame's turnaround depends on the clinician you book — many offer same-day or next-day slots; urgent care is 24/7. Bidwell's turnaround is 15 minutes to a few hours for uncomplicated bridge refills during business hours, with the prescription sent to your pharmacy. Both are async-first for most conditions, though Sesame has many sync video-visit providers too.
Sesame is a marketplace — you pick the clinician, their name, credentials, and ratings are visible. On your second visit, you can rebook the same person, or pick a different one. It's more transparent than a network like Hims but less continuous than a single-practice model.
Two named APRNs, both publicly listed at providers.html with license numbers and state authorizations. Same person reviews your intake and signs your prescription. Small-practice continuity.
Sesame Care operates nationwide — individual clinicians are licensed in specific states, and the platform matches you to clinicians licensed in yours.
Bidwell Health is licensed in 12 states:
If you live outside these 12 states, Sesame is the practical answer.
Both platforms are HIPAA-compliant. Sesame Care has operated since 2018 with a mature privacy program. Bidwell Health uses HIPAA-compliant Supabase and Stripe infrastructure with signed Business Associate Agreements. Same federal standard at both services.
Pick Sesame Care if:
Pick Bidwell Health if:
Usually by a few dollars on a single visit. Sesame urgent care from $34, telehealth visits from $37, vs Bidwell's flat $45. Sesame can also stack Sesame Plus membership and Costco discounts. If cheapest-per-single-visit is your only priority, Sesame wins. Bidwell's advantage is predictability and depth on six specific conditions.
Yes. Sesame Care has operated since 2018, uses licensed U.S. clinicians, and is HIPAA-compliant. It's one of the more reputable cash-pay telehealth marketplaces in the country.
Yes, some Sesame clinicians offer prescription-refill visits. It's available as an individual service on the marketplace. It's not a dedicated product line with standardized pricing and intake — each provider runs their own refill workflow. Bidwell's $45 flat bridge refill is a purpose-built product with consistent pricing, a defined list of 15 covered meds, and a standard 90-day prescription.
Yes — if you live in one of our 12 states. Bring your most recent Sesame prescription or a photo of your pill bottle, and we can issue a new prescription for the same medication if clinically appropriate.
No, Sesame is cash-pay like Bidwell. Your pharmacy insurance can still apply to medication at pickup.
Florida, New York, Virginia, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, and Utah. We're expanding over time; state list at states.html.
Yes for the visit. Medication is a separate pharmacy charge you control. For generics with GoodRx, most of our medications are $4–$15 for 90 days.
Comparable. Sesame offers 24/7 urgent care and many same-day or next-day telehealth slots. Bidwell turnaround is usually 15 minutes to a few hours during business hours with the prescription sent to your pharmacy for same-day pickup.