2nd.MD expert medical opinion: access, process, and price

Compare medical second-opinion services → 2nd.MD

Publisher disclosure: Diagnostic Detectives Network. Its own service appears last in the alternatives section. This guide compares published service structure, access, and price; it does not assess care quality.

Provider facts last verified: 21 September 2026. 2nd.MD's published terms depend on whether access is through an employer/health-plan benefit or an independent request; confirm current eligibility directly.

2nd.MD operates today as a live, separately branded consumer and employer-facing service. Its ownership has changed twice since 2021: 2nd.MD was acquired by Accolade, Inc. in a deal announced in January 2021 for up to $460 million, and Accolade itself completed a merger with Transcarent in April 2025. As of this guide's verification date, 2nd.md still runs its own website independent of the Transcarent and Accolade corporate sites — its footer reads “© 2026 2nd.MD. All rights reserved” with no mention of Transcarent on the consumer pages — and Transcarent separately promotes 2nd.MD as one service within its platform at transcarent.com/2ndmd. 2nd.MD is not part of Included Health — a similarly named but separately owned company with an unrelated acquisition history; see the Included Health guide for that distinction. SM-01, SM-02, SM-03

2nd.MD's own site states: “Whether your membership is part of your employer's benefits package or you have reached out to us independently, we are prepared to help you and your family.” What an independently-reaching individual actually pays is not published.

Can an individual use 2nd.MD directly?

2nd.MD's own homepage describes two paths: membership through an employer's benefits package, and reaching out “independently.” For employer-sponsored members, plan-specific FAQs confirm the service comes “at no additional cost.” What an independent individual without a sponsoring benefit is charged is not stated on the pages reviewed. SM-01, SM-04

What does 2nd.MD cost?

Not published, for either an employer-sponsored member or an independent individual. No pricing page or dollar figure appears on 2nd.md or on Transcarent's promotional page for the service. Plan-specific FAQ pages confirm the employer-sponsored route is free to the member, but none of the pages checked publish a dollar amount for someone contacting 2nd.MD independently, outside a sponsoring plan. SM-01, SM-05

How does the 2nd.MD process work?

Three steps are described consistently across 2nd.MD's pages: activate or verify eligibility online, through the app, or by phone; a nurse or care-team member discusses the medical question and collects records during an intake call, then matches a specialist; and the member consults with the matched specialist by video or phone. Plan-specific pages, such as the one aimed at a particular employer's members, repeat this same three-step structure with a dedicated phone line for that plan, which suggests the underlying process is standardized across 2nd.MD's different employer and health-plan partners rather than varying case by case. SM-01, SM-04

Who reviews the case?

Matched from a network rather than chosen by the patient. 2nd.MD says it selects specialists “based on their years of practice in their niche subspecialty, research, and academic publications,” without naming an individual reviewer before the match. No page reviewed states how many specialists are available in a given subspecialty or how a case is escalated if the first matched specialist is unavailable. SM-06

How long does it take?

Described only in general terms: 2nd.MD's own language says a consultation can be arranged “within days,” with evening and weekend availability; no specific day count is published. SM-01, SM-02

What is included — and what is not?

Included: nurse case review, a specialist video or phone consultation averaging around 30 minutes, the option to include family members on the call, and matching to local in-network providers under some plans. 2nd.MD states explicitly that it “does not practice medicine or provide patient care,” is not an emergency service, and does not substitute for the treating physician's own diagnosis or treatment. SM-06, SM-04

2nd.MD at a glance

Feature 2nd.MD
Eligibility Employer/health-plan membership, or independent outreach
Published price Not published for either path
Reviewer Matched specialist from 2nd.MD's network; not named in advance
Published turnaround “Within days”; no specific figure
International availability Not published; language is US-framed
Current ownership Operates under Transcarent (which completed its merger with Accolade, 2nd.MD's prior owner, in April 2025)
Last verified 2026-09-21

What alternatives can be considered?

The options below are not ranked. They cover other benefit-based and independent routes; each provider should confirm its current terms before a patient submits records or payment.

  1. Included Health Expert Medical Opinion. Included Health's Expert Medical Opinion is published as an employer/health-plan benefit only, with a written opinion typically delivered within 7–14 business days; a separate, unrelated company from 2nd.MD despite the similar service. Read the Included Health guide.
  2. Teladoc Medical Experts. Teladoc's Expert Medical Opinion is available at no cost when included in an eligible member's benefit; a direct cash price is not published and direct purchase without a benefit is not clearly confirmed. Read the Teladoc Medical Experts guide.
  3. Cleveland Clinic Virtual Second Opinion. Cleveland Clinic publishes direct self-pay routes: $1,690 for a US written report, $1,990 for a report plus provider visit where available, and $4,500 for an international opinion, subject to location rules. Read the Cleveland Clinic guide. CC-01
  4. Diagnostic Detectives Network. Diagnostic Detectives Network provides independent, private-pay medical second opinions through multi-expert panels of 3–10+ academic physicians, matched to each case from the worldwide medical literature — not from a fixed network. DDN works directly with private individuals and families worldwide — no employer plan, insurance, or membership required. Pricing starts from €6,000 per case; the exact quote depends on panel size and complexity. See what a multi-expert independent panel adds. Start Your Case.

Frequently asked questions

Is 2nd.MD part of Included Health?

No. 2nd.MD and Included Health are separately owned companies with different acquisition histories, even though both offer a similar specialist-review service. 2nd.MD's prior owner, Accolade, completed a merger with Transcarent in April 2025; Included Health's lineage runs through the 2021 Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand merger.

Can I use 2nd.MD without an employer benefit?

2nd.MD's own site says it helps people “who have reached out to us independently,” in addition to employer-sponsored members. It does not publish what an independent individual is charged, so confirm the price and process directly before proceeding.

What does a 2nd.MD consultation cost?

Not published, for either an employer-sponsored member or an independent individual. No price appears on 2nd.md or on Transcarent's promotional page for the service.

Who owns 2nd.MD today?

2nd.MD was acquired by Accolade, Inc. in a deal announced in January 2021. Accolade then completed a merger with Transcarent in April 2025, so 2nd.MD currently operates under Transcarent, while continuing to run its own separately branded website.

Is 2nd.MD appropriate for an emergency?

No. 2nd.MD states it does not practice medicine or provide patient care and is not an emergency service. Anyone with urgent symptoms should contact local emergency services. DDN is a research-grade informational service — it is not telemedicine, establishes no physician-patient relationship, and is not for emergencies.

Does 2nd.MD publish who its specialists are before I speak with one?

Not by name. 2nd.MD describes its selection criteria — years of subspecialty practice, research, and academic publications — but does not publish a searchable directory of individual reviewing physicians on the pages checked for this guide. Ask during intake whether a specific specialist's name and credentials will be shared before the consultation.

About this guide and corrections

Publisher: Diagnostic Detectives Network. Its service is disclosed and listed last; every statement about the named provider is limited to the official pages reviewed.

If a fact is wrong or the provider has changed its terms, send the page title, disputed statement, and official source through the contact page. The correction will be checked against the provider's own publication and the visible verification date will be updated when warranted.

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