Second opinions

Cleveland Clinic MyConsult Second Opinion, Reviewed

Save

MyConsult is Cleveland Clinic's remote second-opinion program, now folded into its Virtual Second Opinions service. This review explains what it is, who it fits, how a records-based review differs from an in-person visit, what the evidence says a fresh read can catch, and the practical limits to weigh before you pay for one.

Last updated: July 2026

Talk to a clinician

Gale can help you find a clinician in your state and request a visit.

Find care →

What MyConsult is

MyConsult is Cleveland Clinic's remote second-opinion service, now presented under the name Virtual Second Opinions. In it, a Cleveland Clinic specialist reviews the medical records, imaging, and pathology you submit and produces a written second-opinion report, in some cases paired with a video visit, across a broad range of conditions 1. It is a records-based review: the physician works from what you send rather than examining you in person, which places it in the same family as other remote second opinion programs run by academic centers 2.

How a records-based second opinion works

The workflow is built around your documents, so the quality of the review tracks the completeness of what you send. In broad strokes, you gather and submit your records, imaging files, and pathology; a coordinator confirms the right subspecialist for your case; that physician reviews the material and writes an opinion; and you receive a report you can share with your own treating doctor 1. Because there is no physical exam, the actual scans and glass slides matter more than the typed summaries, and assembling complete records before you start is the single part of the process most within your control.

What a fresh read can catch

The whole point of a second opinion is a subspecialist re-reading the primary evidence, and research shows that re-reading changes conclusions more often than people expect. Subspecialist re-review of outside PET-CT scans produced a discordant opinion about malignancy in about 13% of cases, and where a definitive answer later became available, the specialist read was correct in the large majority 3. On the pathology side, one center found outside diagnoses discordant on routine re-review in roughly a fifth of head and neck specimens 4. Not every discordance changes treatment, but the pattern is consistent: a careful re-read of the images and slides themselves, rather than the first report, is where the value sits.

Who it fits, and who it doesn't

A remote review like this fits some situations far better than others. It is most useful for a complex or rare diagnosis, a recommendation for major surgery, a case where the local team lacks the specific subspecialty, or a plan you want confirmed before committing. In one general internal medicine second-opinion series, a new diagnosis was established in about 13% of patients and a new treatment was started in about 56% 5. It is a poor fit for an emergency, for a problem that genuinely needs a hands-on exam, and for anyone expecting the reviewer to take over their care: the report is advisory and goes back to your own doctor to act on.

What it costs and whether insurance helps

Cost is the part that changes most often, so treat any figure you see as a snapshot. The program publishes its price on its own page, and a remote second opinion cost like this is typically a flat, self-pay fee rather than something billed to insurance, so plan for an out-of-pocket amount and confirm the current number before committing. Original Medicare's coverage is a separate mechanism: Part B covers a second opinion for non-emergency surgery, and a third if the first two disagree, at the usual 20% share 6, but that is tied to a covered visit rather than a remote written-report program. Private plans vary, so ask your insurer directly.

How it compares, and how to choose

Cleveland Clinic is one of several academic centers with a published remote program, and the right choice depends on your specific condition, not on brand. A center's subspecialty depth in your exact diagnosis matters more than its general reputation, so for a different problem a mayo clinic remote second opinion or another program may be the stronger fit. When choosing a remote program, weigh the match between the reviewer's expertise and your diagnosis, how complete a record they require, the turnaround time, and the total cost. Seeing how the major remote second opinion programs, compared side by side, line up is the fastest way to place MyConsult among its peers rather than judging it in isolation.

Common questions

MyConsult is Cleveland Clinic's remote second-opinion service, now offered as Virtual Second Opinions. A Cleveland Clinic specialist reviews the records, imaging, and pathology you submit and returns a written second-opinion report, sometimes with a video visit, across a broad range of conditions. It is a records-based review rather than an in-person visit.

It is a real second opinion from a Cleveland Clinic specialist, based on your submitted records. It is advisory: the physician does not examine you in person or take over your treatment. You receive a written report to share with your own doctor, who continues to manage your care.

The program lists its current price on its own page. A remote second opinion like this is generally a flat, self-pay fee rather than an insurance-billed visit, so plan for an out-of-pocket cost and confirm the amount before you commit. Prices and eligible conditions change, so check the source directly.

Often not directly, because these programs are usually self-pay. Original Medicare separately covers a second opinion for non-emergency surgery under Part B, with the usual 20% share, but that applies to a covered visit rather than a remote written-report program. Ask your own insurer about your specific plan.

A records-based remote review fits when you want subspecialty eyes on a complex diagnosis or a major-surgery decision without traveling, and your case can be judged from records and imaging. An in-person visit is better when a hands-on exam is essential or when you may transfer your care to the new center.

Related

Say it back

How would you explain this to someone you love?

Two or three sentences, just as you’d say it. Gale reflects back what you focused on — a mirror, not a quiz.

Talk to a clinician

Gale can help you find a clinician in your state and request a visit.

Find care →

When a remote review is the wrong tool

  • —You have symptoms that need urgent evaluation, such as new chest pain, sudden weakness, severe shortness of breath, or a rapidly changing condition; a records-based review is not for an emergency.
  • —Your situation depends on a physical examination or a test that can only be done in person, so a records-only opinion would be incomplete.
  • —You are relying on the second opinion to start or change treatment immediately, when the report is advisory and must go back to a treating physician to act on.

If your symptoms could be an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department instead of waiting for a remote review.

This is an independent, editorial review of a publicly documented program; Gale is not affiliated with it and is not paid for it. Program details, pricing, eligible conditions, and availability change, so confirm the current specifics on the program's own page before deciding.

References

  1. 1.Cleveland Clinic (2025). Virtual Second Opinions. Cleveland Clinic (my.clevelandclinic.org). link ✓That Cleveland Clinic offers a remote/virtual second-opinion service (historically branded MyConsult) in which specialists review a patient's records and provide a written report, optionally with a virtual visit, across a broad range of conditions.
  2. 2.Mayo Clinic (2025). Mayo Clinic Care Network — Solutions and services (eConsults and eBoards). MayoClinic.org. linkThat another academic center offers a remote consultation model, showing that Cleveland Clinic's program sits among comparable academic remote second-opinion and eConsult programs.
  3. 3.Ulaner GA, Mannelli L, Dunphy M (2017). Value of second-opinion review of outside institution PET-CT examinations. Nuclear Medicine Communications. doi:10.1097/MNM.0000000000000647 ✓That subspecialist second-opinion review of outside-institution FDG PET-CT examinations produced at least one discordant opinion of malignancy in about 13% of cases, and where a definitive diagnosis was later available the subspecialist read was correct in 25 of 28.
  4. 4.Zhu GA, Lira R, Colevas AD (2016). Discordance in routine second opinion pathology review of head and neck oncology specimens: A single-center five year retrospective review. Oral Oncology. doi:10.1016/j.oraloncology.2015.11.018 ✓That in head and neck oncology specimens routinely re-reviewed at a single center, about 22% were discordant with the outside pathology assessment, though not all discordances were management-changing.
  5. 5.Burger PM, Westerink J, Vrijsen BEL (2020). Outcomes of second opinions in general internal medicine. PLOS ONE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0236048 ✓That among patients referred for a general internal medicine second opinion, a new diagnosis was established in about 13% and a new treatment initiated in about 56%, so second opinions frequently change management even when the diagnosis is unchanged.
  6. 6.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (2024). Second surgical opinions coverage. Medicare.gov. link ✓That Original Medicare Part B covers a second opinion for medically necessary non-emergency surgery, and a third opinion if the first two differ, with the beneficiary paying 20% of the Medicare-approved amount.

6 sources, numbered by first appearance. General health information, not medical advice. AI-assisted editorial content — citations link their sources. Editorial policy

← Back to the health library