Key Points:
- Both Fay and Nourish offer comprehensive health insurance coverage for nutrition counseling services.
- Fay emphasizes provider expertise and care customized to users’ specific condition and nutritional focus area.
- Nourish offers comprehensive options to find the right RD, focuses on frequent app usage, and emphasizes on similar care plans.
In our always-online world, it’s getting harder to cut through the noise and know what information comes from a true expert versus what’s just a trendy topic packaged for maximum views. And the world of nutrition is no exception. Every day, new fads emerge claiming to offer quick fixes and miracle results.
If you want to take control of your health and find sustainable, lasting change, nutrition counseling is one of the best ways to do it. And personalized support from a registered dietitian is one of the most effective ways to achieve that goal.
Fay and Nourish are two leading online nutrition service platforms that connect you with a registered dietitian for personal nutrition counseling. They both work with health insurance to get your care covered, making these vital services more accessible.
Read on to learn more about each platform and what makes each stand out to support your nutrition and health goals.
Fay vs. Nourish at a glance
| Fay | Nourish | |
| Insurance coverage | Covers 700+ insurance plans | Works with major providers |
| Number of providers | 3,600+ All independent with their own private practices | 8,000+ Many are W2 employees |
| Offers mobile app | ✔ Meal logging and goal tracking, 24/7 provider chat | ✔ Health tracking widget and lab results in-app |
| Offers custom nutrition services | ✔ Every RD takes a completely custom approach tailored to your health concerns and goals | ✔ |
What is Fay?
Fay offers personalized nutrition counseling both in-person and online through a nationwide network of board-certified dietitians. Fay focuses on pairing clients with a dietitian who specializes in their area of concern, ensuring a completely individual approach for optimal outcomes.
Fay heavily vets all dietitians and only works with Registered Dietitian Nutritionists.
Fay accepts insurance plans in all 50 states, including:
- Anthem
- Cigna
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- United Healthcare
- Select health
- Humana
- And more
How it works:
- Input your insurance information and area of interest to find a dietitian who specializes in your needs and accepts your insurance. Fay provides a cost estimate which is later confirmed once Fay bills your insurance.
- Meet with your RD online or in person.
- Pay with your insurance. Fay bills directly to your provider on your behalf so you don’t have to worry.
What is Nourish?
Nourish offers telehealth nutrition counseling by pairing users with a registered dietitian and using health insurance to cover the services. Nourish focuses on app use between sessions to stay engaged and and focus on outcomes.
Nourish dietitians are all licensed RDNs (Registered Dietitian Nutritionists).
Nourish accepts insurance plans in all 50 states, including:
- United Healthcare
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Aetna
- Cigna
How it works:
- Enter your health insurance information to see if Nourish accepts it.
- Get an out-of-pocket estimate backed by the Nourish Guarantee, which ensures you won’t be charged more than your estimate for any appointment before Nourish learns your real cost. Once your insurance shares your real cost, that will be the cost of your sessions moving forward.
- Select a dietitian and book a telehealth appointment.
- Meet with your dietitian regularly while Nourish sends claims to insurance for you.
Compare Fay vs. Nourish benefits
While Fay and Nourish both offer insurance-covered nutrition counseling services, what they each cover and how they operate varies. See how they compare to determine the right choice for you.
Provider network
Fay boasts a network of 3,600+ specialized dietitians. It has a rigorous four-step vetting process to ensure all providers aren’t just qualified, but also that they have a compassionate approach and a proven track record. Fay also measures and monitors providers’ outcomes to uphold consistent excellence.
Dietitians who work with Fay operate independently. This means they set their own schedules and have complete agency over their services, like a private practice. Every provider is a board-certified Registered Dietitian Nutrition, the highest level of qualification you can have as a nutrition professional.
Nourish has dietitians available in all 50 states. Nourish’s providers work for Nourish, meaning they are treated like employees rather than independent providers. All Nourish providers are Registered Dietitian Nutritionists; they work exclusively online and don’t see patients in person.
Insurance coverage
Fay accepts 700+ insurance plans across all 50 states, including all major insurance providers.
If your insurance plan requires pre-authorization, you can ask your dietitian if they can handle this for you so you don’t have to worry.
Nourish works with Blue Cross Blue Shield and its associated networks, United Healthcare, Aetna, and Cigna. Nourish doesn’t accept Medicaid.
Cost
Fay clients pay as little as $0 per session with insurance (compared to $150+ per session without insurance coverage).
Fay offers a pricing estimation tool that uses your insurance information to get the most accurate estimate possible:
- Fay verifies the validity of your insurance and the eligibility and coverage with your insurer;
- Available cost-sharing details (such as copays or deductibles) are reviewed;
- Fay generates the most accurate estimate possible based on returned data.
Pricing depends on several factors, including your specific insurance plan, deductibles status, how the insurer applies copays, and more.
94% of Nourish patients pay $0 out of pocket. If your insurance isn’t covered, Nourish’s out-of-pocket rate is $145 per session.
Expertise
Fay covers a vast array of nutritional concerns and conditions, including eating disorders, weight management, diabetes, gut health, general preventive care, and more.
Fay focuses on matching you with a provider who specializes in your area of concern to ensure you receive the highest-quality care possible. You can filter providers by specialty to find a dietitian who is an expert in your exact needs.
Nourish dietitians cover a variety of concerns and approaches, including diabetes, healthy aging, weight, PCOS, and cholesterol. You can filter providers by concern, approach, and cuisine/diet.
Availability
With Fay, all RDs work virtually, and many work in person as well. You can filter search results based on your preference.
All dietitians have clear availability displayed on their profiles so you know exactly who’s available and when. This makes comparing two providers’ specialties, ratings, and availability easy. You can book directly through each profile from the search result page, ensuring you get the care you need as soon (and as easily!) as possible.
Nourish RDs only work online. To see each provider’s individual profile to see their individual availability, you have to click into the profile. This can make comparing two providers a bit more challenging.
App
Fay offers a robust mobile app that keeps you connected to your dietitian between appointments. The chat function is open 24/7, enabling easy communication between you and your RD. The app encourages steady progress with daily to-dos, which you can customize yourself based on your goals.
There is also a journal function, where you can log meals (including photos), track symptoms, and share your latest wins and concerns.
Nourish offers an app to message your RD, set and track goals, see session summaries, and view content relevant to your needs. Dietitians are able to assign tasks and goals to encourage continuous improvement. Many of the app functions are guided by the dietitian, rather than the user.
How to choose the right nutrition service provider
Finding the right dietitian for your needs is a very personal process. Not only do you want to find someone with the proper qualifications, but you also want to ensure that it’s a good personality fit. When comparing options, these factors can help inform your decision:
- Cost and insurance: Coverage will vary by insurance provider and plan. Input your insurance information into the platform you’re considering to see if you’re covered and what your estimated cost will be.
- Specialty: Your needs are individual to you, so finding a provider who specializes in your area of concern is crucial for long-term health. Look for nutrition services that allow you to filter by specialty or need to find the right dietitian for you.
- Availability and scheduling: Do you want to meet your RD online or work together in person? Consider what kind of support you want and when you want to meet, whether it’s during the day, in the evenings, or on the weekends.
- Additional benefits: Nutrition services are so much more than just a meal plan. Choose a platform that offers ongoing support with regular RD check-ins, mobile app support, and robust resources.
Ultimately, the right platform is one that pairs you with a dietitian who specializes in your needs, prioritizes thoughtful and personalized support, and covers your insurance.
Final thoughts
Both Fay and Nourish offer comprehensive insurance coverage for nutrition services. For those looking for straightforward app support between sessions, Nourish is a good option. If you value a gamified experience to stay engaged and robust integration options, Fay is the clear winner.
Ultimately, the right choice will depend on your individual needs and insurance coverage. What’s most important is you find the proper support to meet your goals and become your healthiest self.
Start your nutrition journey today.
The views expressed by authors and contributors of such content are not endorsed or approved by Fay and are intended for informational purposes only. The content is reviewed by Fay only to confirm educational value and audience interest. You are encouraged to discuss any questions that you may have about your health with a healthcare provider.
