HealthTap Prime Expands Accessible, Comprehensive Virtual Care to Everyone

By AIT News Desk On May 25, 2021

HealthTap Brings a Primary Care and Behavioral Health Care Relationship to Millions Who Lack Primary Care Physician

HealthTap, a leading virtual healthcare provider, announced that it has launched an affordable, accessible way for uninsured and underinsured people to establish an ongoing primary care relationship with a doctor of their choice. With a HealthTap Prime membership for $15 per month, members can select a primary care physician and receive care for a wide range of conditions and needs, including women’s health, men’s health, senior health, preventive care, children’s health care, and care for managing chronic conditions. Each doctor appointment costs $39 (or an insurance copay) with a HealthTap Prime membership.

HealthTap

“In the first half of 2020, 43.4 percent of U.S. adults ages 19 to 64 were inadequately insured, whether through a gap in coverage, no insurance or a high deductible, according to Commonwealth Fund’s latest Biennial Health Insurance Survey,” said HealthTap co-founder and chief operating officer Sean Mehra. “Primary medical care represents not only a major market opportunity, but also the chance to improve many Americans’ lives and health.”

Effective primary care facilitates managing chronic conditions, promising massive improvements in health and reductions in cost. Around 60 percent of adults suffer from at least one chronic condition, while 42 percent suffer from multiple conditions. When including indirect costs associated with lost economic productivity, the total cost of chronic disease in the United States reaches $3.7 trillion each year, approximately 19.6 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. A primary care relationship also facilitates identifying emerging conditions that may require specialist care, including mental and behavioral needs which are served through HealthTap’s partner, Talkspace.

“The continuity of care available to patients by virtue of seeing the same primary care physician every time can measurably improve the health of our users,” said HealthTap co-founder and chief medical officer, Dr. Geoff Rutledge. “We’re fortunate to work with so many dedicated clinicians who are capable of delivering this level of care.”

A recent report from the U.S. Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine urged immediate action toward ensuring that every American has a primary care provider. The report states that, based on a half century of research, access to primary care saves money, improves health and saves lives. This is correlated by an analysis of 22 similar studies from around the globe that found this “continuity of care” is associated with reduced mortality. The analysis was conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter, U.K.

Behavioral and Mental Health Care Now Also Accessible, In Partnership With Talkspace
A key element for the continuity of care is access to ongoing behavioral and mental health care. Talkspace therapists can pick up where HealthTap’s primary care physicians leave off, with a $100 discount for HealthTap Prime members.

“Talkspace is excited to partner with HealthTap because of our shared approach to delivering healthcare—we prioritize access and affordability to get individuals the care they need, when and where they need it,” said Lauren Friedrich, Talkspace’s Vice President of Channel Partnerships. “This access and affordability facilitates ongoing care with a trusted provider and ultimately leads to better clinical outcomes.”

HealthTap Prime Facts

Primary Care and 24/7 on-demand discounted Urgent Care visits — $39 or insurance copay.
$100 off online therapy visits with Talkspace.
Schedule appointments with nearby walk-in clinics nationwide, including thousands of CVS MinuteClinic locations.
Secure storage for all medical records without storage limitations. Benefit from personalized care from our doctors who will always tailor their advice based on your profile and history.
Virtual care for children at no additional membership cost.

HealthTap doctors are U.S. based and board-certified. They can prescribe medication, order lab tests and, most importantly, follow a patient’s health over time. In addition to virtual doctor visits, HealthTap offers free features that can help people get trusted, personalized medical information from real doctors:

Dr. Q&A, a searchable database of millions of patient questions answered by actual doctors. Users can also ask their own anonymous questions and receive a response from a doctor within 24 hours.
HealthTap AI, HealthTap’s doctor-trained and doctor-assisted chatbot. that helps people understand what may be causing their symptoms and the usual doctor recommendations.