Sam's Club membership now comes with telehealth perk

Some Sam’s Club memberships already come with health perks such as free select prescriptions and discounts on glasses.

Now, the membership warehouse club—which is a division of Walmart—is extending a telehealth discount with virtual care provider 98point6 to all members after a yearlong pilot.

Through the collaboration, Sam’s Cub members will have exclusive offerings on 98point6’s telehealth virtual clinic via a text-based app. Members with a Club or a Plus membership will be able to purchase a quarterly subscription at an introductory fee of $20 for the first three months per participant compared to 98point6’s typical sign-up fee of $30 per person.

The subscription includes visits for $1 with unlimited use and access to U.S. board-certified doctors. Sam’s Club members using the 98point6 app can also get necessary prescriptions or labs ordered, officials said in a release.

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After the first three months, the cost for Sam’s Club members rises to $33.50 every three months. In comparison, those without a Sam’s Club membership must enroll in an annual plan of $120 per year, plus $1 per visit.

“Offering access to telemedicine was on our roadmap in the pre-COVID world, but the current environment expedited the need for this service to be easily accessible, readily available and most of all, affordable,” said John McDowell, vice president for pharmacy operations and divisional merchandise at Sam’s Club, in a statement. “Through providing access to the 98point6 app in a pilot, we quickly realized that our members were eager to have mobile telehealth options and we wanted to provide this healthcare solution to all of our members as a standalone option.”

It’s just another foray into providing primary care services for Walmart. Last year, the retailer unveiled its new primary care clinic concept called Walmart Health, and it recently said it expects to have at least 22 locations by the end of 2021.