What if we had access to migraine treatment online? Access to a headache specialist or a doctor trained specifically to treat all headache disorders can be hard to find. In the United States, several states have no headache specialists and others have only one. For people with migraine and other headache disorders in these states, significant travel as well as insurance battles have to ensue before seeing a specialist that can help manage their symptoms.
Good news! You can now have access to board certified neurologists, specializing in headaches from the comfort of your home. One of the best things that has come out of the pandemic for all of us is access to some of the best specialists for our migraine and headache needs.
This new service, called Neura Health, is an effort to provide patients (ages 14 and up) with chronic migraine and headache access to quality care. Without having to travel long distances or wait months for an appointment.
**While Migraine Strong writes about the latest in migraine treatments, this is not medical advice. We are patient educators and all information you read should be discussed with your doctor.
What does Neura Health provide?
Downloading the app for iPhone or Android is the first simple step. The first week is just $1.00 for a trial membership. Membership costs $35 per month after the first week (you can cancel any time). There are also quarterly and annual plan options that give you lower per month rates when you prepay. Included in the membership fee is:
- APPOINTMENTS – As a member, you can schedule video appointments with a board-certified neurologist specializing in headaches for an additional fee (see fee schedule here):
- 45 minute initial visit
- 20 minutes follow up visit with Physician Assistant
- 20 minute follow up visit with the medical doctor
- Low complexity patients might not require a video visit, determined by the medical team. In this case, an online chat based treatment can be an option.
- Unlimited, 24/7 in-app chat with your care team.
- Bi-weekly 30 minute care coaching sessions to keep you on track with your personalized treatment plan and offer emotional support along the journey.
- Full-featured tracker to record your headaches, delivering insights into triggers and trends. The tracker is shared with your headache specialist and care team to help you find your triggers and patterns.
- Neura offers discounts with membership for Cefaly, IV Drips and Madison Oak Vestibular Rehab Therapy.
- Neura is in-network with some insurance plans, which vary by state. Here is the updated list.
- DISCOUNT – Visit www.neurahealth.co Use link to receive a $15 discount on your membership.
While Neura Health clinicians can offer video consultations and recommend a customized treatment plan with everyone in the United States or Canada, they can directly prescribe medications only in certain US states. Medications are called into a local pharmacy or shipped directly to you and billed through your insurance.
Comprehensive new educational curriculum for members
The Neura Health team has recently launched a personalized educational curriculum in the app. It is interactive, personalized to each individual and was ‘created in consultation with experts in the field of headache and migraine – including headache specialists, physical therapists, registered dietitians, and health coaches.’ This curriculum will guide you, step by step, through your first 90 days of your Neura Health subscription. It helps you set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound). Check out Neura’s blog post that explains their new educational curriculum.
What if you aren’t in one of Neura Health’s prescribing states?
Neura Health is working on adding new states and the list will be updated frequently. If you live in Canada or your state is not one where Neura can directly prescribe, after your video visit, Neura will reach out directly to your existing provider to communicate your visit notes and treatment recommendations. Your local physician would need to directly prescribe for you. In most cases, physicians are willing to do this.
We spoke with Dr. Thomas Berk, a New York City headache specialist and a former Clinical Assistant Professor at the Department of Neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. He is the medical director of Neura Health and wanted to introduce us to the new service. After talking with him, we were convinced it was a good option for the many in our community who don’t have access to a headache specialist.
My review of Neura Health migraine treatment
I decided to sign up for Neura Health’s online headache clinic to see if it could be right for our community. I think it’s a great opportunity for the community to explore.
Signing up for the Neura app
I downloaded the app on my phone with no difficulty. I filled out the initial information (email, password, name, birthday, payment option etc). Other information is required including a patient intake form, patient health questionnaire and a Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS).
All of these forms provide your care team with your migraine and health history. It took 45 minutes or so to fill out. I have a somewhat complicated or detailed medical history and I wanted to make sure I filled it out accurately. You can use a ‘long press’ (on your phone screen) on the forms in the app. You can then email a link in case you want to fill out the forms on a computer or tablet.
Who is on your Neura Health migraine team?
Doctor – Board certified neurologist, specializing in headaches.
Care Concierge – Social workers who can forward medical questions to the doctors and get you answers 24/7. They help with insurance, scheduling testing, getting answers to medical questions and passing information to your current doctor if new medications or testing is recommended. My care concierge was very supportive and prompt with replies.
A doctor and a care concierge will be assigned to you when you enter your information on the app. The care concierge will send you a message which shows up under the Get Care button on the bottom of the screen. I recommend having notifications turned on so that you don’t miss a message from your care concierge or your doctor.
Coaches – Offer emotional support, education, accountability, and a listening ear. Coaches serve as an extension of the neurologist’s care; they align internally with the doctors and help scale their care through more frequent touch points with the patient. Regular video visit with coaches can be weekly, biweekly or on demand. These visits are included in the membership.
Testing the online migraine treatment service
After finishing my paperwork, I requested an appointment with my new headache specialist. They offered several options during the following couple of days. I was really impressed with how quickly I was scheduled with the doctor. No long waits and I was asked to set aside an 45 minutes for the first appointment. Nice!
Neura Health sent me a Zoom link to meet with my headache specialist. We met and he took a detailed history covering my migraine journey, previous treatments and my medical history. It was very thorough and I felt heard. I received suggestions that I could implement and he offered to communicate the recommendations to my local doctor.
I have also talked to several other community members who have tried the service. All have given it great reviews. The care team is very responsive and have helped in obtaining the new CGRP meds and prior authorizations. They do not only treat migraine. I focused on this aspect of their treatment because that is my diagnosis. This list of conditions treated and medications prescribed gives a good overview of what Neura Health offers in their online migraine and headache clinic.
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My Evaluation
In every way, I was super impressed with Neura Health. The appointment didn’t feel any different than going to a provider in person. I would definitely recommend using this app on a regular basis. It is super convenient and having migraine expertise at my fingertips is completely worth it. You can message with the care team 24/7 which provides incredible access to care.
Many in our community have to travel long distances to see a specialist or wait for months to be seen. This was quick, efficient, intuitive and responsive. The care concierge responded promptly to my questions and the doctor was on time, extremely knowledgeable and prepared.
Other questions that I asked
Do you treat chronic migraine/headache patients?
Yes. This service was specifically designed to treat the chronic headache patient and they can help with rebound (medication overuse headache/medication adaptation headache) as well. Neura clinicians treat all headache disorders. Review a list of the conditions Neura treats.
Do you treat patients with vestibular migraine?
Yes, the doctors are trained to treat vestibular migraine. In fact, Dr. Tom Berk, Neura’s medical director has vestibular migraine.
How much is it to schedule an appointment with the doctor?
- The initial 45 minute appointment is $165 or copay.
- Follow up visits (20 minutes) are $85 or copay for a Physician Assistant
- Follow up visits (20 minutes) are $100-110 or copay for a medical doctor. The doctor will recommend the frequency of these appointments based on your required care. Usually every three months.
- Check with your HSA/FSA provider to ensure that these are “qualified medical expenses” under your plan. Read Neura’s FAQ on accepting HSA/FSA.
What if a scan (MRI, CT etc) is needed for treatment?
Neura providers can write referrals for patients to get any necessary scans. They can also help you find a local provider for treatments like Botox.
Does Neura Health accept insurance?
Neura Health is in-network with some insurance plans, which vary by state. Here is the updated list of in-network insurance plans for Neura Health. If your plan is not yet accepted, Neura can provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance for out-of-network reimbursement.
Having access to a knowledgable headache specialist can be the key to getting control of migraine and other headache disorders. Neura Health is leveling the playing field for those with complicated migraine and providing the access to expert care. We’d love to hear about your experiences with Neura Health!
This article was updated from a version published on November 16, 2023
Loved this article. I think i will try it.
Do they bill ur insurance ad well?
They don’t accept insurance for the regular monthly subscription. It’s way cheaper than anything my insurance covers. But they can help you find local places for testing and help with insurance in those cases. They just don’t accept it for their service.
Is there any way someone from outside the USA could use this service?
They said it was possible to offer consults to other parts of the world.I would reach out to them and see what they say. I don’t know if they are offering that now or in the future. – Eileen
Thank you so much for this info. I don’t have insurance so this is a big help. I will look into this further.
I have used Neura Health for months now. Dr. Berk is a great listener and with my complicated history of head pain was willing to think outside the box. Am somewhat successful in treating this daily head pain. Would recommend to anyone!
So glad to hear this Juli!! We love Dr. Berk and Neura and very much feel the same way. Thanks for commenting!! – Eileen