WhiteGloveMD vs Included Health — Cardiac Second Opinion Compared.
Included Health (formerly Grand Rounds) provides expert medical opinions and virtual care to members through employers and health plans, with a large national footprint. Included Health is a strong generalist benefit if your plan offers it. An independent Heart Team second opinion can confirm which option is right for your specific anatomy, comorbidities, and goals. Get a Heart Team review →
Included Health (formerly Grand Rounds) provides expert medical opinions and virtual care to members through employers and health plans, with a large national footprint. Like other employer-benefit platforms, it is generalist and typically pairs a member with a single specialist. WhiteGloveMD is a cardiac-specific, dual-physician, consumer-direct alternative: a cardiac surgeon and a cardiologist review every case and deliver a signed report in 24 hours from $495. When the decision is whether to undergo open-heart surgery, the difference between a generalist single-reviewer opinion and a two-physician cardiac review with quantitative risk scoring is exactly the difference that matters.
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.
Included Health
Included Health delivers expert medical opinions and virtual care to members through employers and health plans, generalist across conditions, typically via a single specialist. Free to eligible members; a historical individual expert-opinion tier was priced around $7,500.
Included Health is a strong generalist benefit if your plan offers it. For a cardiac surgery decision specifically, WhiteGloveMD provides depth a general platform does not: a surgeon and a cardiologist on the same case, quantitative operative risk scoring, and a 24-hour signed report — purchasable directly, without waiting on an employer benefit.
Frequently asked questions.
Is Included Health the same as Grand Rounds?
Yes — Included Health was formed from Grand Rounds and Doctor On Demand. It offers expert opinions and virtual care to members through employers and health plans.
How is WhiteGloveMD different from Included Health?
WhiteGloveMD is cardiac-surgery-specific and dual-physician (surgeon plus cardiologist), with quantitative operative risk scoring and a 24-hour turnaround, purchasable directly. Included Health is a generalist, single-specialist employer benefit.
Can I use WhiteGloveMD if I already have Included Health?
Yes. Many patients use a free general benefit for routine questions and add a dedicated dual-physician cardiac review for a high-stakes surgery decision. They complement each other.
- 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.