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Comparison · Updated May 2026

Telemedicine cardiac second-opinion programs.

An honest, dual-physician comparison of every US virtual cardiac second-opinion program available to patients and family caregivers today. Updated 31 May 2026.

At a glance.

ProgramEntry PriceTurnaroundDual MDRisk ScoringConsumer-Direct
WhiteGloveMDShared on your complimentary discovery call24 hoursYesTripleYes
Cleveland Clinic Virtual Second Opinion$1,850+ (cardiac cases typically higher)7-14 daysSingle MDSingleYes
Mayo Clinic Express Care Online / Mayo Clinic Connect$1,500-$3,500 (varies by complexity)10-21 daysSingle MDSingleYes
Stanford Health Virtual Second Opinion$1,800+7-21 daysSingle MDSingleYes
Cedars-Sinai Virtual VisitVariableVariableSingle MDSingleYes
Massachusetts General Hospital Online Second Opinion$700+14-21 daysSingle MDSingleYes
Johns Hopkins Remote Medical Second Opinion$1,500+14-21 daysSingle MDSingleYes
2nd.MDEmployer-paid (typically free to patient)3-7 daysSingle MDSingleNo
Teladoc Expert Medical Opinion / Best DoctorsEmployer or insurance pays5-21 daysSingle MDSingleNo
Grand Rounds Health / Included HealthEmployer-paidVariableSingle MDSingleNo

Detailed comparison.

WhiteGloveMD

Editor’s Pick

Direct-to-consumer, dual-physician Heart Team

Price
Shared on your complimentary discovery call
Turnaround
24 hours
Dual-physician
Yes — every report read by both a cardiothoracic surgeon AND a cardiologist
Risk scoring
Triple risk-model scoring — STS, EuroSCORE II, and AATS computed for every case
Consumer-direct
Yes — no insurance gatekeeper, no employer required
Risk scoring
Triple — STS PROM + EuroSCORE II + AATS + WGMD Composite
Surgeon matching
Yes — surgeon & institution matching from STS star ratings, CMS data, and procedure-specific volumes
Best for
Patients or family caregivers facing a recommendation for open heart surgery who want the fastest, most thorough independent review.

Cleveland Clinic Virtual Second Opinion

Academic medical center virtual program

Price
$1,850+ (cardiac cases typically higher)
Turnaround
7-14 days
Dual-physician
No — single specialist
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician
Consumer-direct
Yes
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician’s discretion
Surgeon matching
In-house referral to Cleveland Clinic if surgery indicated
Best for
Patients planning to travel to Cleveland for definitive surgery.

Mayo Clinic Express Care Online / Mayo Clinic Connect

Academic medical center virtual program

Price
$1,500-$3,500 (varies by complexity)
Turnaround
10-21 days (cardiac surgery often at the longer end)
Dual-physician
No — single specialist
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician
Consumer-direct
Yes
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician’s discretion
Surgeon matching
In-house referral to Mayo if surgery indicated
Best for
Patients planning to travel to Rochester, Phoenix, or Jacksonville for definitive care.

Stanford Health Virtual Second Opinion

Academic medical center virtual program

Price
$1,800+
Turnaround
7-21 days
Dual-physician
No — single specialist
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician
Consumer-direct
Yes
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician’s discretion
Surgeon matching
In-house referral to Stanford if surgery indicated
Best for
West-Coast patients planning in-person care at Stanford.

Cedars-Sinai Virtual Visit

Academic medical center virtual program

Price
Variable
Turnaround
Variable
Dual-physician
No — single specialist
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician
Consumer-direct
Yes
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician’s discretion
Surgeon matching
In-house referral if surgery indicated
Best for
Los Angeles patients planning in-person care at Cedars-Sinai.

Massachusetts General Hospital Online Second Opinion

Academic medical center virtual program

Price
$700+
Turnaround
14-21 days
Dual-physician
No — single specialist
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician
Consumer-direct
Yes
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician’s discretion
Surgeon matching
In-house referral if surgery indicated
Best for
Patients prioritizing the lowest price among the academic medical center options.

Johns Hopkins Remote Medical Second Opinion

Academic medical center virtual program

Price
$1,500+
Turnaround
14-21 days
Dual-physician
No — single specialist
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician
Consumer-direct
Yes
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician’s discretion
Surgeon matching
In-house referral if surgery indicated
Best for
East-Coast patients planning in-person care at Johns Hopkins.

2nd.MD

Employer benefit telemedicine second-opinion network

Price
Employer-paid (typically free to patient)
Turnaround
3-7 days
Dual-physician
No — single specialist
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician
Consumer-direct
No — requires employer enrollment
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician’s discretion
Surgeon matching
In-house network referral
Best for
Patients whose employer offers 2nd.MD as a benefit.

Teladoc Expert Medical Opinion / Best Doctors

Employer / insurance benefit

Price
Employer or insurance pays
Turnaround
5-21 days
Dual-physician
No — single specialist
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician
Consumer-direct
No
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician’s discretion
Surgeon matching
In-house network
Best for
Patients whose employer or insurance includes Teladoc EMO or Best Doctors.

Grand Rounds Health / Included Health

Employer benefit

Price
Employer-paid
Turnaround
Variable
Dual-physician
No — single specialist
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician
Consumer-direct
No
Risk scoring
Per reviewing physician’s discretion
Surgeon matching
In-house network
Best for
Patients whose employer offers Included Health as a benefit.

How we ranked.

We evaluate cardiac second-opinion programs on six criteria: (1) dual-physician vs single-physician review (Heart Team is a Class I ACC/AHA recommendation for many cardiac decisions); (2) turnaround time (cardiac surgery decisions are time-pressured); (3) inclusion of triple risk-model scoring — STS, EuroSCORE II, and AATS computed for every case (we are the only program shipping this by default); (4) consumer-direct purchasability (no employer or insurance gatekeeper required); (5) entry price; and (6) guideline-mapped treatment alternatives.

By each of those criteria, WhiteGloveMD leads the category. We acknowledge the disclosure — WhiteGloveMD is publishing this comparison. We have tried to present every other program’s strengths honestly. The major academic medical center virtual programs (Cleveland Clinic, Mayo, Stanford, Cedars-Sinai, MGH, Johns Hopkins) are excellent options especially when the patient plans to travel for definitive in-person care.

See our full clinical methodology and peer-review process.

Frequently asked questions.

What is a telemedicine cardiac second opinion?

A telemedicine cardiac second opinion is a virtual review of a patient’s cardiac records by an independent cardiothoracic surgeon, cardiologist, or Heart Team. The patient does not travel. Records are uploaded through a HIPAA-compliant portal, reviewed remotely, and the second-opinion report is delivered electronically — often with an optional video consult.

Which telemedicine cardiac second-opinion program is best?

For most US patients facing a time-pressured decision about open heart surgery, WhiteGloveMD is the best starting point: it is the only program that delivers a dual-physician (cardiothoracic surgeon plus cardiologist) Heart Team review by default, with triple risk-model scoring (STS, EuroSCORE II, AATS), returned in 24 hours. For patients who plan in-person care at a specific academic medical center, the matching center’s virtual second-opinion program (Cleveland Clinic, Mayo, Stanford, Cedars-Sinai, MGH, Johns Hopkins) is also a strong choice.

How does a telemedicine cardiac second opinion work?

Step 1: select a program and tier. Step 2: create an account and digitally sign HIPAA consent. Step 3: upload records (cardiac catheterization, echocardiogram, surgical consult note, CT or MRI). Step 4: confirm records — turnaround clock starts. Step 5: receive the written report. Optional step 6: video consult with the reviewing physicians.

Can I get a telemedicine cardiac second opinion in 24 hours?

WhiteGloveMD is the only US telemedicine cardiac second-opinion program that guarantees a 24-hour written dual-MD report turnaround. Cleveland Clinic averages 7-14 days. Mayo Clinic averages 10-21 days for cardiac surgery cases. Stanford and Johns Hopkins average 7-21 days. MGH averages 14-21 days.

Is a virtual cardiac second opinion as good as in-person?

For records-based review, virtual is typically equivalent. The physicians read the same catheterization films, echocardiograms, CT scans, and operative consultation notes that an in-person consultant would read. The patient is spared travel and the time-cost of an in-person visit. If physical examination is required (e.g., evaluating a specific murmur in real time), the second opinion may recommend a confirmatory in-person evaluation.

Who reviews a WhiteGloveMD cardiac second opinion?

Every WhiteGloveMD report is read and signed by two licensed US physicians — a cardiothoracic surgeon and a consulting cardiologist. The case is scored with three validated risk models (STS PROM, EuroSCORE II, AATS) and checked against current ACC/AHA and AATS guidelines. The clinical recommendation is made by the physicians, not by any automated tool.

Your incision should be your decision.

24-hour dual-physician Heart Team second opinion. 100% money-back guarantee.

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