How Much Does a Virtual Pediatrician Cost? A Pediatrician's Guide for Parents
How Much Does a Virtual Pediatrician Cost?
How much does a virtual pediatrician cost? Blueberry Pediatrics costs $29 a month (or $18 a month billed annually), plus a one-time at-home medical kit valued at about $100 that is often bundled at a discount with current membership offers. There are no per-visit fees, no per-child fees, and no copays. Every visit is $0, with or without insurance, and one membership covers every child in your family. The average Blueberry family saves about $281 a year in copays and unexpected bills. This is an estimate based on the difference between Blueberry's annual membership cost and what a typical family spends out of pocket each year on pediatric copays and urgent-care or after-hours visits. By comparison, a single telemedicine visit often costs about $75, urgent care about $185, and one emergency room trip $1,700 or more.
Key Takeaways
- A single virtual visit often costs about $75. A monthly membership can lower the cost per visit even more.
- Blueberry Pediatrics is $29 a month (or $18 a month billed annually), plus a one-time at-home medical kit valued at about $100 that is often bundled at a discount with current offers. Every visit is $0, with no copays.
- One Blueberry membership covers every child in your family, not just one.
- The average Blueberry family saves about $281 a year compared with copays and unexpected bills. This is an estimate based on the difference between Blueberry's annual membership cost and what a typical family spends out of pocket each year on pediatric copays and urgent-care or after-hours visits.
- Per visit, the costs compare like this: Blueberry $0, a telemedicine visit about $75, urgent care about $185, and the emergency room $1,700 or more.
- Virtual care is great for common illnesses. Some symptoms still need in-person or emergency care, and this guide shows you which ones.
See what one flat membership covers for your whole family.
See Blueberry pricingWhat You Actually Pay for Virtual Pediatric Care
Virtual pediatric care is usually priced one of two ways: pay-per-visit or a flat monthly membership. Knowing the difference helps you compare the real cost.
With pay-per-visit care, you pay each time you talk to a doctor. Standalone apps like Teladoc and Amwell list visits at about $75 when you pay out of pocket. Through insurance, a virtual visit often costs less, and some plans cover it at no charge. The catch is that you pay again for every visit and often for each child.
A membership works differently. You pay one monthly fee, and visits are included. A membership can also cost far less over a year than paying per visit. This is especially true if you have more than one child or your kids get sick often.
How Blueberry Pediatrics Pricing Works
Blueberry Pediatrics costs $29 a month, or $18 a month if you pay for the year at once, with no per-visit fees and no copays. There is one extra cost: a one-time at-home medical kit, valued at about $100, which Blueberry often bundles at a discount as part of current membership offers, so what you pay depends on the promotion running when you join. After that, every visit is $0, for every child in your family. That keeps your online pediatrician cost predictable: one flat monthly price instead of a new bill for each visit.
What's Included in the $29 Membership
Your membership covers unlimited visits, day or night, for every child in your family. You can message or call a pediatrician when your child is sick or you have a question. There are no per-visit fees and no per-child fees. One flat price covers the whole family, so a visit at 2 a.m. costs the same as one at 2 p.m.: nothing.
The One-Time Medical Kit
The medical kit is a single purchase, not a recurring charge. It is valued at about $100, and Blueberry often bundles it at a discount as part of current membership offers, so what you pay depends on the promotion running when you join — it is worth checking the current offer. It includes tools your pediatrician can use during a visit, so they can see and hear what is going on at home. You buy it once when you join. You do not pay for it again, and it works for every child in your family.
Virtual Pediatrician vs Urgent Care vs the ER: A Cost Comparison
Here is how a virtual pediatrician compares with other common ways to get care. The costs below come from recent insurance-network and national claims data, so your exact bill may vary by plan.
| Care Option | Typical Cost Per Visit | How You Pay | What's Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blueberry Pediatrics (virtual) | $0 per visit | $29 a month, or $18 a month billed annually, plus a one-time medical kit (about $100, often bundled at a discount) | Unlimited visits, every child in the family, no copays, day or night |
| Telemedicine / virtual visit (self-pay) | about $75 per visit | Pay out of pocket, per person | One visit, one child |
| Urgent care | about $185 per visit | Per-visit, plus possible copay or deductible | One visit, one child |
| Emergency room | $1,700 or more per visit | Per-visit, often after your deductible | One visit, one child |
What does this mean for your family? Every other option in the table charges you per visit and per child. Blueberry charges one flat membership that covers everyone. A typical urgent care visit runs about $185, and national claims data shows one emergency room trip can total $1,700 or more. That single ER visit can cost more than two years of Blueberry.
One hidden cost is worth knowing about. Many telemedicine services do not use at-home medical tools. Without a way to look in your child's ears, the doctor often cannot diagnose a common illness remotely. You may be told to book an in-person visit anyway. Then you pay twice, once for the virtual visit and again for the office or urgent care trip. Blueberry works differently. The at-home medical kit lets your pediatrician see and hear what is going on, so more illnesses can be handled from home, in one visit, at no extra cost.
How Much Can a Family Save With a Virtual Pediatrician?
The average Blueberry family saves about $281 a year compared with copays and unexpected bills. This is an estimate based on the difference between Blueberry's annual membership cost and what a typical family spends out of pocket each year on pediatric copays and urgent-care or after-hours visits. Families with more than one child, or kids who get sick often, tend to save more.
The savings go beyond the membership itself. Research shows virtual care often costs much less than the same care in person. A peer-reviewed study of more than 16,000 matched visits found virtual urgent care cost about one-third as much as an in-person visit. A larger 2026 analysis of 160,000 visits found similar results. Care that started with telemedicine cost far less, partly because families needed fewer follow-up visits.
Ready to skip the copays and cover every child at once?
Join BlueberryDoes Insurance Cover Virtual Pediatric Visits? (and HSA/FSA)
Many insurance plans cover virtual visits, often with a lower copay than an in-person visit. Some plans cover them at $0. Coverage and copays vary, so your telehealth pediatrician cost through insurance depends on your plan, and it is worth checking the details.
Blueberry works a little differently. You do not use insurance to pay for Blueberry, and you do not need insurance to join. Every visit is $0 either way. Because Blueberry is a medical expense, your membership and kit are generally HSA/FSA eligible, though final approval depends on your plan administrator. Our guide on using HSA/FSA for pediatric telehealth explains how to pay tax-free.
Is a Virtual Pediatrician Worth the Cost?
For everyday childhood illnesses, a virtual pediatrician is often the fastest and most affordable choice. Think of pinkeye, colds, rashes, ear pain, and the many small worries that come up after the office has closed.
One question we hear from parents is simple: "Do I really have to pack up a sick toddler and a healthy sibling just to ask about a rash?" With a membership, you do not. You can get answers from home, at any hour, and one membership covers every child. That convenience, plus no copays, is why many families find the cost more than worth it. To learn more about how online visits work, see What to Know About Online Pediatric Care and A Pediatrician's Guide to Telehealth. You can also compare plans on the Blueberry pricing page.
The AAP advises that telehealth should work with your child's pediatrician and medical home, not replace them.
American Academy of Pediatrics
When You Still Need In-Person or Emergency Care
Virtual care is a great first stop for common illnesses. It is not a substitute for emergency care. The American Academy of Pediatrics says telehealth works best alongside your regular pediatrician, and that some visits still need to happen in person.
In-person care is usually needed for well-child checkups, shots, and anything that requires a hands-on exam, imaging, or lab work. For babies younger than 2, the AAP also recommends care through your own pediatrician or medical home rather than one-off telehealth services outside the medical home.
Call 911 or go to the emergency room now, do not wait for a virtual visit, if your child has any of these signs.
Trouble breathing, grunting, or bluish lips; a fever in a baby younger than 3 months; a seizure; no wet diaper or tears for 8 hours; repeated green or bloody vomiting; or a sudden, big change in how alert or responsive your child is.
If you are not sure whether a symptom is an emergency, a good rule is to call your pediatrician first. For a full list of childhood emergency warning signs, see this MedlinePlus guide from the National Institutes of Health.
References
- UnitedHealthcare. Care options and costs (2023 network provider data). https://www.uhc.com/member-resources/where-to-go-for-medical-care/care-options-and-costs
- UnitedHealthcare. Where to go: ER, urgent care, or virtual visit. https://www.uhc.com/news-articles/benefits-and-coverage/care-options
- Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. Emergency department visits exceed affordability thresholds for many consumers with private insurance (2019 MarketScan data). https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/emergency-department-visits-exceed-affordability-thresholds-for-many-consumers-with-private-insurance/
- Khairat S, et al. Evaluation of Patient Experience During Virtual and In-Person Urgent Care Visits: Time and Cost Analysis. Journal of Patient Experience, 2021. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8205332/
- Zhang B, Asch DA, Chen Y, et al. Telemedicine visits cost far less than office visits. JAMA Network Open, 2026 (Penn Medicine summary). https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/study-finds-telemedicine-visits-cost-far-less-than-office-visits
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Telehealth services start with your pediatrician (HealthyChildren.org). https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/health-management/Pages/Telehealth-Services-for-Children.aspx
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Telehealth: improving access to and quality of pediatric health care. Pediatrics, 2021. https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/148/3/e2021053129/181044/
- MedlinePlus (National Institutes of Health). When to use the emergency room: child. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000594.htm
Medical disclaimer: This article is for general information and is not a substitute for medical advice from your child's doctor. A virtual visit is not a substitute for emergency care. If you think your child is having an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
