Frequently asked questions

BetterBrain helps you understand and improve your brain health. We combine advanced biomarker testing, cognitive assessments, and one-on-one support from a Brain Health Coach to build a personalized, evidence-based plan to protect your memory and sharpen your thinking. You can start with Blueprint, a comprehensive assessment, or with the ongoing Coaching Program, and either way you get full access to the BetterBrain app, including BeBe, our AI brain health coach, our resource library, and BetterBrain Picks, our curated supplement marketplace.

BetterBrain was designed for anyone interested in improving their brain health, both reducing dementia risk and improving cognitive function. We find that the people who benefit the most typically have (1) a family history of dementia or Alzheimer's, (2) one or two copies of the APOE4 gene, or (3) have been experiencing some level of cognitive decline they would like to address.

While there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, the science around prevention has progressed tremendously over the past few years, as detailed in our Science section. A landmark study suggested that up to 45% of cases are potentially preventable, and some researchers believe the true figure may be higher. What's more, implementing these brain health strategies has clear short term cognitive benefits, with a 25% improvement shown in the landmark FINGER study, and it improves many other aspects of your health.

While it may not be satisfying, the reality is that "it depends". There are 100+ potential interventions, but to find the 3-5 most effective ones it is critical to understand your biology. That is why BetterBrain does extensive blood biomarker testing among other assessments.

Although BetterBrain can help you unlock a wealth of data about your health and biology, we do not diagnose any conditions. In other words, BetterBrain is not a substitute for medical care. Instead, we encourage you to use the information you learn through BetterBrain to have a thoughtful discussion with your physician to receive any diagnoses and come up with a clinical path forward.

BetterBrain aims to integrate seamlessly into your existing care and help you navigate the broader healthcare system. We do not intend to replace the work of your physician and believe it is important for all to maintain a relationship with a primary care doctor and/or a neurologist.

No. BetterBrain is right for anyone looking to improve their brain health and brain performance. The sooner you set a baseline understanding for your body, the easier it will be to see your health trends and take action.

BetterBrain is available in all 50 states, with the exception of certain zip codes. Additionally, you can optionally choose at-home testing in select zip codes in 27 states and the District of Columbia: Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Blueprint is a comprehensive brain health screen. You start with 50+ biomarker blood tests and a cognitive assessment, then have an up to 90-minute session with a brain health expert who walks you through your results and builds your personalized action plan. $89 with insurance, $399 cash pay. From there you have the option to continue with ongoing Coaching for up to weekly 1-on-1 sessions and long-term support.

Coaching is an ongoing 12-week program with up to weekly 1-on-1 sessions with a dedicated Brain Health Coach. You start with your first session, where your coach goes deep on your lifestyle, habits, and health history and builds your plan from there. You then have the option to add bloodwork for $89, but it is never required. $0 with insurance for most eligible clients, $1,499 cash pay.

Both include full access to the entire BetterBrain system, including our resource library, BeBe, our AI brain health coach, and BetterBrain Picks, our curated supplement marketplace.

Your Brain Health Coach is a licensed healthcare professional, such as a registered nurse or registered dietitian, with specialized training in brain health and dementia prevention. They work one-on-one with you to turn your health picture into a personalized, evidence-based plan across nutrition, sleep, exercise, and stress, and they work under the guidance of our medical advisory board.

For Blueprint: your Brain Health Coach is a registered nurse experienced in neurology and brain health. They provide personalized education and support during your up to 90-minute consultation and are available for ongoing text support. Our coaches are trained on the latest brain health research and work alongside our medical advisors to discuss your results and create personalized protocols.

For the Coaching Program: you will meet with a dedicated Brain Health Coach, a registered dietitian trained in cutting-edge brain science. They provide ongoing one-on-one support throughout your 12-week program with up to weekly sessions. They focus on sustainable lifestyle changes across nutrition, sleep, stress management, and other key areas that impact brain health.

All BetterBrain coaches are licensed healthcare professionals (RNs or RDs), receive specialized training in brain health and dementia prevention, work under the guidance of our medical advisory board, have access to the latest research in preventive neurology, and are committed to evidence-based, personalized approaches to brain health optimization.

Blueprint: our entire assessment process typically takes under an hour (about 15 minutes for an at-home blood test, under 15 minutes for the cognitive assessment, and under 10 minutes for the health profile). The real work starts post-assessment. While many interventions are quick and easy, such as a new supplement routine, others may require more effort, like optimizing sleep. We work hard to ensure you find things that are enjoyable and beneficial to many other aspects of your life.

Coaching Program: the initial assessment takes under an hour, plus up to weekly coaching sessions across your 12-week program. Sessions focus on sustainable lifestyle changes with your dedicated Brain Health Coach. The program is designed to fit into your life with practical, achievable steps toward long-term brain health improvement.

Yes, all sessions are by video call, so you can meet your Brain Health Coach from anywhere. For bloodwork you go to a Quest Diagnostics location near you, or add an at-home draw for $99, available in select areas.

No. You can start coaching without any lab work. After your first session, you can choose to add lab testing for $89 if you and your coach want deeper insight, but it is optional and never required to begin.

Your Brain Health Coach walks you through your results and builds a personalized action plan ranked by impact and matched to your biology. From there, ongoing Coaching is available if you want up to weekly support. You also have full access to the entire BetterBrain system, including our resource library, BeBe, our AI brain health coach, and BetterBrain Picks, our curated supplement marketplace.

One of the first steps in your BetterBrain journey is to get a series of tests to help you identify your brain health risks. The tests included in your membership fall under two categories.

Cognitive assessments: our battery of cognitive tests is designed to give you quick insights on different types of brain abilities, including memory, reasoning, concentration, and verbal abilities. These tests have been designed based on 30+ years of research and are used by over 10,000 providers around the world.

Blood tests: our panel of cross-specialty physicians assembled a set of 54 biomarkers that are the most important to understand for your brain health. We test all of these markers in your initial blood panel, and you can ask us any time about re-testing. You can explore the full panel on our What we test page.

Although there are many more tests you can do that are relevant to your brain health, they are often more expensive and more targeted. BetterBrain can help you access deeper testing at a discounted fee. Please note that pTau-217 and APOE genetic testing are not currently available in NY, NJ, or RI.

BetterBrain's battery of tests is completely different than what primary care physicians typically order. Our panel has been carefully assembled and vetted by leading physicians to provide a comprehensive view of your brain health. Unfortunately, many of these tests are inaccessible to most people given doctors are typically less focused on long term prevention, and require "medical necessity" for insurance coverage which usually requires existing symptoms.

Typically within a few days. As soon as you're signed up, you can schedule your blood draw at any of 2,000+ Quest locations nationwide (or BioReference labs in NY, NJ, RI). We also offer at-home blood draws in most urban areas for an additional $99. You can complete your cognitive assessment and health profile immediately after signing up.

Your bloodwork will typically be available within a week of your blood draw. Once ready, you will receive an email to view your results directly on our platform.

Yes, a medical doctor will review results from your lab tests and call you directly if there are any critical values in your results. Additionally, your results will be visible directly in our app and discussed with your health coach.

Unlike most genetics companies, BetterBrain does not look at your whole genome. Instead, we run a test that looks for one gene in particular called APOE4. This gene is one of the most common risk factors for Alzheimer's, and which variant you have will influence the recommendations we give you. We receive the data on your variant from our lab partner, and do not ever see the rest of your genome.

The APOE4 gene is a risk factor similar to many others we test for in your blood. Just because you have a higher risk variant of the gene does not mean you are destined to develop Alzheimer’s. Learn more about what family history and genes really mean for dementia risk. However, we recognize that knowing your genetics is a highly personal decision. For that reason, genetics are optional with BetterBrain.

The pTau-217 blood test is $299 as an add-on to a Blueprint assessment. pTau-217 is a blood biomarker closely linked to Alzheimer’s-related changes in the brain. Read the full pTau-217 test guide for what it measures, how to get it, and where it’s available.

Dementia has genetic and lifestyle components, but for most people it is not simply inherited. Family history and genes like APOE4 shape your risk; they don’t determine it. Learn what family history and genes really mean for your dementia risk.

The APOE test assesses inherited Alzheimer’s risk by looking at which variant of the APOE gene you carry. At BetterBrain it is a $149 add-on to a Blueprint assessment, and genetic testing is always optional. Read the full APOE genetic test guide covering results, privacy, and cost.

The BetterBrain Coaching Program is eligible for insurance coverage. For 92% of eligible customers, this program costs $0 with insurance. The fastest way to know is to check your eligibility. It only takes a few minutes and there is no credit card required.

BetterBrain Blueprint is $89 with insurance coverage. The $89 covers the biomarker panel, which is not included in your insurance benefit. Without insurance, Blueprint is $399. Blueprint is also HSA and FSA eligible for tax savings.

For most eligible customers, yes. 92% of eligible customers pay $0 out of pocket because insurance covers the program. Eligibility depends on your plan, so we run a quick check upfront and confirm any cost before you start. If you are not eligible through insurance, coaching is $1,499.

We run an eligibility check directly with your insurance and give you an exact estimate upfront. Under our BetterBrain Guarantee, we will never charge you more than that estimate.

The card is held on file in case of a late cancellation within 24 hours of your appointment. It is not charged upfront, and this is not a subscription.

Self-Directed is completely free and includes a brain health assessment, personalized protocols, and 24/7 access to BeBe, our AI coach. Blueprint is $399 and Coaching is $1,499 cash pay. Both are HSA and FSA eligible and come with a money-back guarantee.

We will never charge you more than the estimate we give you upfront. You will know your costs before your first session. No surprise bills, ever.

We firmly believe in the effectiveness of our approach, so much so that we're prepared to stake our own resources on it. We will issue a 100% refund if you are unsatisfied for any reason; we just ask that you share which aspects you were unsatisfied with.

We know your health data is some of your most valuable information. That's why we hold a high bar for data privacy and security, and composed a team of experienced leaders who have built secure data systems in the past:

• One of our co-founders built a secure healthcare platform containing data from over 140M Americans and 7 of the largest health systems in the country.
• Our chief engineer built the data infrastructure that housed 15% of all COVID test results in the US, including for members of congress and the Department of Defense. Through his work with electronic health record companies, he ensured the security of about 10% of the US population's healthcare data.

All of BetterBrain's staff are trained on HIPAA regulations, and we use these experts' technical knowledge to constantly enhance our digital, physical, and administrative security measures. Please refer to our privacy notice for more information.

We restrict access to results on a need-to-know basis. Namely, your results are available only to you, the ordering physician (who will contact you directly for any critical results), and your brain health expert if you are receiving coaching. Besides that, nobody has access to your health data.

Yes you can. BetterBrain exists to help you identify and understand your health data. We know that this is some of the most important information you have, and it is 100% yours, and nobody else's. You can delete your data anytime you like by sending us an email at contact@betterbrain.com. Please know that we delete your data permanently. Once it's gone, we will not be able to get it back if you change your mind.