Startups, Telemedicine, Health Tech

Companies buy into text-based primary care during pandemic

98point6, a startup offering text-based primary care services, said it added Boeing, Chipotle, Circle K and other large companies as customers.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused employers to look for ways to beef up their telehealth benefits. One example: A Seattle-based startup offering text-based primary care services landed four new corporate clients this year.

98point6 will bring its text-based primary care platform to Boeing, Chipotle, Circle K and KinderCare, for a total of more than 500,000 employees. The company has a total of more than 3 million users.

Last month, 98point6 raised $43 million in funding led by Goldman Sachs. The company planned to use the new funds to handle the influx of patients from the Covid-19 pandemic, tripling the number of physicians on its platform.

Through 98point6’s app, users start by filling out information about their symptoms or questions through an automated assistant. Like a pre-visit survey, that information is provided to their physician for review before the appointment.

Next, the company will open a chat with a board-certified physician. If the issue can’t be resolved through text, photo and video capabilities are also available.  98point6 says its physicians can assess symptoms and diagnose conditions in the app. They can also order labs or medications at a local pharmacy.

Since the beginning of the year, 98point6 said it has seen volumes increase by more than 200%. Covid-19 related concerns accounted for a little less than half of those its visits.

Chipotle began offering 98point6 as a benefit starting on January 1. With the pandemic, the company looked to expand that partnership.

“When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, we quickly recognized that 98point6 services could be expanded and leveraged to allow our team members to immediately access affordable care in a time of social distancing,” Chipotle Chief People Officer Marissa Andrada said in a news release.

The startup has also made inroads with health plans. A year ago, it struck a partnership with Banner|Aetna, the Arizona health plan owned by Banner Health and Aetna.

For users that don’t have its service covered by a health plan, 98point6 also offers annual memberships for $120 per year. The company was founded in 2015.

Photo credit: Venimo, Getty Images

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