WhiteGloveMD vs 2nd.MD — Cardiac Second Opinion Compared.
2nd.MD (now part of Transcarent) is one of the largest digital second-opinion services, offered free to members through employers and health plans. If your employer or health plan offers 2nd.MD, it is a credible free generalist option for a second opinion. An independent Heart Team second opinion can confirm which option is right for your specific anatomy, comorbidities, and goals. Get a Heart Team review →
2nd.MD (now part of Transcarent) is one of the largest digital second-opinion services, offered free to members through employers and health plans. It connects patients with a single specialist by video or phone. WhiteGloveMD is different in three ways that matter most when heart surgery is on the table: it is cardiac-specific, dual-physician (a cardiac surgeon AND a cardiologist review every case), and consumer-direct — anyone can buy it in 24 hours from $495 without waiting for an employer benefit. If your plan offers 2nd.MD, it is a reasonable generalist option; when the decision is whether to have open-heart surgery, a two-physician cardiac review is a different level of scrutiny.
Head-to-head comparison.
WhiteGloveMD
A cardiac surgeon and a cardiologist review your case together and deliver a written, signed report in 24 hours, with triple operative risk scoring (STS, EuroSCORE II, AATS). Consumer-direct: no employer, no referral. From $495, with a money-back guarantee.
2nd.MD
2nd.MD provides expert medical opinions to members enrolled through employers and health plans, connecting them with a single specialist by video or phone, at no cost to the member. It is generalist across many conditions rather than cardiac-specific.
If your employer or health plan offers 2nd.MD, it is a credible free generalist option for a second opinion. When the specific question is whether to proceed with heart surgery, WhiteGloveMD adds what a generalist single-reviewer service does not: two cardiac physicians on the case, quantitative operative risk scoring, and a 24-hour turnaround built for a surgical decision — available directly, without waiting on a benefit.
Frequently asked questions.
Is 2nd.MD free?
Yes, when you are enrolled through an employer or health plan that offers it — the member pays nothing. If you do not have access through your plan, you cannot typically purchase it directly. WhiteGloveMD is consumer-direct from $495.
What does WhiteGloveMD do that 2nd.MD does not?
WhiteGloveMD puts both a cardiac surgeon and a cardiologist on every case, focuses exclusively on cardiac surgery decisions, includes quantitative operative risk scoring (STS, EuroSCORE II, AATS), and delivers in 24 hours. 2nd.MD is a generalist single-specialist service.
Should I use my free 2nd.MD benefit or pay for WhiteGloveMD?
They are not mutually exclusive. For a general question, a free benefit is sensible. For a high-stakes open-heart surgery decision on a short timeline, a dual-physician cardiac review is a different level of scrutiny — many patients want both.
- O'Brien SM, Feng L, He X, et al. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons 2018 Adult Cardiac Surgery Risk Models. Ann Thorac Surg. 2018;105(5):1411-1418.
- Nashef SAM, Roques F, Sharples LD, et al. EuroSCORE II. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2012;41(4):734-745.
Not sure which option is right for you?
Our Heart Team evaluates your specific anatomy, risk factors, and goals to recommend the best approach. 24-hour turnaround.