How Swell Medical Works

Getting Help Shouldn’t Feel Like a Guessing Game

By the time most people look for online care, they’re already juggling a lot:

Work. Kids. Exhaustion. Worry.

A symptom that showed up at the worst possible time. You shouldn’t have to solve a puzzle just to get help.

You shouldn’t have to solve a puzzle just to get help. Swell Medical is designed to be simple and kind:

1. You tell us what’s going on.
2. We tell you if we can safely help online.
3. You see the price and visit type clearly.
4. You decide if you want to move forward.

1. Create Your Free Account

You start by making a free account from your phone, tablet, or computer.
We ask for:

Your name and basic details
Where you are (so we match you with the right state-licensed clinician)
A few health questions to keep you safe

That’s it.

No insurance card.
No payment required yet.
You’re just opening the door.

2. Start a Free Initial Screening Chat

Once you’re in, you can start a free screening chat.

You tell us, in your own words:

What’s bothering you
How long it’s been going on
Medications you’re already taking
Anything else we should know

A licensed clinician looks at what you’ve shared and decides:

Yes – this is something we can safely treat online, or
No – this really needs in-person or emergency care instead

If it’s no, we tell you that. Clearly and kindly. You’re not charged.

If it’s yes, we move forward together.

3. Choose Chat or Video Visit

If online care is appropriate, you’ll see what type of visit makes the most sense.

Chat visit

You and your clinician talk by secure messaging.
You can respond between moments of your day—on your couch, on your lunch break, after the kids are in bed.

Video visit

You meet face-to-face over secure video.
Helpful when a visual exam or more in-depth
conversation is needed.

Some states require video for certain services.
In others, you may have options. We’ll guide you based on:

Your state’s rules
Your symptoms
Clinical safety

You don’t have to figure that out alone.
We show you which visit type is right for what’s going on.

4. Understand the Pricing (In Human Terms)

Money is the part everyone worries about, so let’s put it right on the table.

Your Total Consultation Fee

A full consultation with Swell Medical is:

$75

per visit

That $75 covers:

Your main visit (chat or video), and
Reasonable follow-up messages about that same issue

No subscription. No monthly membership. Just a clear per-visit fee.

Care Deposit Fees

To confirm your visit, we charge a Care Deposit Fee:

$30

– deposit for a chat visit

$50

– deposit for a video visit

Think of this as a small piece of your visit total that you pay up front once you’re ready to move forward.

This deposit:

Is charged only after you decide you want a visit with a clinician
Goes toward your $75 total consultation fee if you complete the visit
Helps cover the time your clinician spends reviewing your chart and preparing for you—even before a single question is asked in real time

Sign-up and your initial screening chat are always free.
You don’t pay anything until you say, “Yes, I want to see someone.”

We show you exactly which deposit applies (chat or video) before you put in a card.

5. Complete Your Visit

Once your visit is confirmed and your deposit is paid, your clinician gets to work:

Reviews your history and screening details
Asks questions over chat or video
Makes a clinical assessment of what’s likely going on
Talks through options and what they recommend

Depending on your situation, that may include:

A diagnosis and treatment plan
Prescriptions for non-controlled medications, sent to your preferred pharmacy when appropriate
Lab orders to get more information before or during treatment
Clear instructions on what to watch for and when to seek in-person or emergency care

When you complete a consultation:

Your $30 or $50 deposit is applied toward your $75 total.
You’re only charged the remaining balance, if any.

6. Follow-Up Without Starting From Zero

Real life doesn’t stop once your visit ends.

You might:

Have a question about how to take a medication.
Notice a side effect you’re not sure about
Feel better and want to know what’s next
Need to clarify your instructions

For the same issue you were just seen for, your $75 consultation includes reasonable follow-up messages so you’re not paying a new fee every time a question pops up.

If a brand new, unrelated issue comes up, that’s a new consultation—but we’ll walk through the same simple steps again.

How Care Deposit Fees & Refunds Actually Work

We know giving your card number to a clinic is a moment of trust.

We take that seriously.

Why We Use Deposits

The $30 (chat) and $50 (video) Care Deposit Fees exist so that:

Clinicians are paid for real time spent reviewing your case
Schedules stay open for people who truly plan to show up
We can keep visits affordable and sustainable for everyone using Swell

It’s part of how we make sure this model works for both patients and providers.

When Your Deposit Can Be Refunded

There are situations where your Care Deposit Fee may be fully refundable, such as when:

You cancel before your clinician starts their evaluation, or
We determine your case cannot be safely treated online, and we direct you elsewhere, or
There’s a billing error or duplicate charge

In those cases, we don’t believe you should pay for a visit that never really happened.

When Your Deposit May Be Partially Refunded

Sometimes, a clinician has already:

Reviewed your chart
Looked at your history
Considered your case carefully

…and then you decide not to move forward with a full consultation.

In those cases, we may keep a portion of your deposit to honor the work that has already gone into your care, and refund the rest.

The exact details are laid out in our Refund Policy and shown in your portal.

When Your Deposit Is Not Refunded

Your Care Deposit Fee is generally non-refundable when:

You complete a consultation (because it goes toward your $75 visit total), or
You no-show or cancel very late, after substantial clinical work has been done, or
A clinician has fully evaluated your case and recommended care, and you simply choose not to follow the plan

We try to be as fair as possible to everyone involved—patients and clinicians alike.

Quick Snapshot: Money at a Glance

So you don’t have to hunt for the numbers:

Sign-up

Initial screening chat

Care Deposit Fee

$30

for chat visits

$50

for video visits

Medications

Billed separately by the
pharmacy, if prescribed

Medications

$75

per visit (includes your visit
+ follow-up about that issue)

Labs

Billed separately by
the lab provider

You see what you’ll pay before you decide.

Why We Built It This Way

We could have made this complicated. We chose not to.

We built Swell this way because:

We want you to know the rules up front, not after a surprise bill
We want clinicians to have enough time and support to take your concerns seriously
We want online care to feel like a steady, human part of your life, not a gamble.

You deserve care that is:

Safe
Clear
Fair
There when you need it

That’s what this structure is trying to protect.

If you’ve been staring at symptoms, or an empty pill bottle, or lab results you don’t understand—and part of what’s been stopping you is not knowing how this works or what it costs: This is your sign that you’re allowed to take the next step.

We’ll walk you through it, one clear step at a time.