Legion Health vs Brightside Health is a common comparison for people trying to match their symptoms and budget to the right virtual clinic. This guide explains how each service works, which conditions they treat, how they handle ADHD and medications, and what to know about pricing and insurance, so you can see which option better fits your situation.

What is Brightside Health?

Brightside Health is an online mental health service that offers virtual psychiatry and therapy through monthly subscription plans. The company concentrates on depression and anxiety treatment, including care for some people at higher suicide risk.​

Patients can choose medication management, therapy, or a combination of both, all delivered by licensed clinicians through video visits. The service clearly defines which medications it uses and which it does not. Brightside does not provide ADHD care and does not prescribe stimulant medications such as Adderall or methylphenidate. It also does not prescribe benzodiazepines such as Xanax or Ativan.​

If you want treatment for depression or anxiety and do not need ADHD care or medications outside Brightside’s scope, the service may work for you. If you need ADHD evaluation, stimulant medication management, or support for several conditions at once, you will need a broader psychiatry clinic.

What is Legion Health?

Legion Health is a virtual psychiatry clinic where you meet with licensed psychiatric clinicians who accept most major insurance plans in Texas. Clinicians treat anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, OCD, PTSD, and related mental health conditions through secure video visits.

Services include psychiatric evaluations, medication management, and ongoing follow-up care. For ADHD, clinicians can consider both stimulant and non‑stimulant medications when it is safe and appropriate to do so, following careful diagnostic standards and regular monitoring.

Legion Health uses technology behind the scenes to simplify scheduling and documentation, but every diagnosis and prescription is provided by a licensed clinician. You meet with a real person who reviews your history, discusses your goals, and builds a treatment plan with you. All visits are virtual, and out‑of‑pocket costs depend on your specific insurance benefits.

Treatment Focus and Clinical Scope

Brightside Health concentrates on mood and anxiety disorders. They list conditions such as depression, generalized anxiety, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, OCD, PTSD, postpartum depression, social anxiety, and PMDD. They also run programs for higher‑risk patients, such as suicide prevention and intensive outpatient tracks.​

Brightside does not treat ADHD and does not prescribe stimulant medications or benzodiazepines. That means patients with ADHD symptoms or those who need a broader medication toolkit may need another clinic.​

Legion Health treats a wider set of conditions, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, OCD, PTSD, and more. Clinicians can handle several conditions at once, which is common when ADHD overlaps with anxiety or mood symptoms. For ADHD, Legion Health includes FDA‑cleared QbCheck testing to provide measurable data on attention and activity that supports diagnostic decisions.

If you have both ADHD and anxiety, or ADHD and depression, you can work with one psychiatric clinician at Legion Health who looks at the whole picture instead of splitting care across multiple platforms.

Appointment Access and Scheduling

Both services offer quick starts, but they handle time differently.

Mental health conditions accounted for 63.9% of all U.S. telehealth claims in October 2025, making psychiatry one of the most common uses of virtual care. Telehealth could represent up to 30% of all U.S. medical appointments by 2026, with mental health showing particularly resilient utilization.

Brightside often offers first psychiatry appointments within a couple of days, which can be helpful if you are focused on mood or anxiety symptoms and want to start quickly. However, psychiatry visits are time‑limited, which may feel tight if you have complex questions, multiple medications, or several conditions to discuss.​

Legion Health typically schedules first appointments within about a week and does not use a waitlist or referral requirement. Initial evaluations are built to include a deeper history, and follow‑ups can be shorter for stable check‑ins or longer when you are changing medications or dealing with side effects.

Between visits, you can message the team about concerns like side effects or new symptoms. The goal is to answer questions promptly so you do not feel stuck waiting until the next appointment.

Insurance Coverage and Pricing

Brightside accepts many insurance plans, including some Medicare and Medicaid coverage, but wraps its care in subscription pricing. Public information describes monthly rates for psychiatry, therapy, or combined care, and you pay a flat amount each month tied to the plan you choose.​

Legion Health uses an insurance-first approach. The clinic works with major Texas plans, including Blue Cross, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Magellan, and Oscar. You pay your usual copay or coinsurance, plus any deductible that applies, just like seeing a local specialist, with no extra subscription fee.

If your insurance benefits are strong, this model often results in lower out‑of‑pocket costs than paying a separate monthly subscription, especially if you do not need multiple visits each month.

Technology and Care Delivery Model

Brightside uses software to support “precision prescribing” for mood and anxiety. Their system looks at many data points from your intake and follow‑up to help clinicians choose and adjust antidepressants. They also provide in‑app messaging, educational content, and tracking tools to help you track your mood over time.

Legion Health uses modern systems to reduce administrative friction while keeping clinical decisions firmly in the hands of licensed clinicians. Technology supports scheduling, documentation, and coordination, so more appointment time can focus on your symptoms, goals, and risks.

For ADHD, Legion Health integrates QbCheck, an FDA‑cleared tool that measures attention and activity using a standardized task. This objective data supplements the interview and rating scales and can help monitor how treatment is working.

If you want a very structured app experience focused solely on mood and anxiety, Brightside may appeal to you. If you want technology to support care without limiting which conditions or medications can be managed, Legion Health offers a broader medical scope.

Why Legion Health is the Better Choice

Brightside can be a good fit if your main concern is depression or anxiety, you do not need ADHD care, and you prefer a subscription structure for costs. Their narrow focus and digital tools can work well when your needs stay inside that lane.​

Legion Health is usually a better match if you:

• Have ADHD symptoms, or ADHD combined with anxiety or depression.

• Want stimulant and non‑stimulant options considered when it is safe and appropriate.

• Prefer to use your existing insurance benefits versus pay subscription fees.

• Want a single psychiatric clinician to manage several conditions over time.

Clinicians at Legion Health follow strict prescribing standards and use tools such as QbCheck to support ADHD diagnosis and monitoring. Your care is always clinician‑led, with technology in the background to support a smoother experience, not replace judgment.

If you want insurance-friendly virtual psychiatry that can cover ADHD alongside mood or anxiety disorders, you can see if Legion Health is a fit and schedule a psychiatric evaluation.

Final Thoughts on Comparing These Two Services

Your best option in the Legion Health vs Brightside Health comparison depends on what you need treated and how you prefer to pay. Brightside focuses on depression and anxiety with a subscription model and very fast first visits. Legion Health treats a broader range of psychiatric conditions, including ADHD, accepts most major insurance plans, and does not pre‑exclude whole medication categories when they may be appropriate and safe. If you want psychiatric care that covers ADHD alongside mood or anxiety disorders, you can get integrated treatment from one clinician at Legion Health. The right fit comes down to your specific diagnosis and whether insurance-based visits or subscription pricing makes more sense for you.

FAQs

How should I decide between Legion Health and Brightside Health?

If you only need treatment for depression or anxiety and like subscription pricing, Brightside may be enough. If you have ADHD, overlapping conditions, or want to use your insurance for broader psychiatric care, Legion Health is usually the stronger option.

What is the key difference in medication options?

Brightside does not treat ADHD and does not prescribe stimulants or benzodiazepines. Legion Health can consider stimulants for ADHD when it is medically appropriate, along with antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and other medications based on a careful evaluation.

Who is each service best for?

Brightside works best for people focused on depression or anxiety who want fast, structured care inside a subscription model. Legion Health is better for people who need ADHD evaluation and treatment, have multiple conditions, or prefer using their existing insurance benefits.

Can I use my insurance with both services, and how does pricing differ?

Brightside accepts many insurance plans but still uses monthly subscription pricing for its services. Legion Health bills visits through your insurance like a specialist clinic, so you pay a copay or coinsurance and any applicable deductible, with no extra subscription layer.

What if I need longer visits to discuss treatment changes?

Brightside structures psychiatry visits around a fixed time that may feel short for complex situations. Legion Health adjusts visit length based on clinical need, allowing more time during initial evaluations and during follow‑ups when you are changing medications or working through side effects.