Two years ago, Sesame proposed the idea of letting doctors set their own cash payment price, completely excluding insurance. Since then, direct-to-consumer business has grown rapidly, increasing the scope of remote medical access, imaging services, and some diagnostic tests.
Now, the New York-based startup is improving its services by adding an online pharmacy managed by Truepill behind the scenes. Through this partnership, patients who conduct virtual or face-to-face interviews through Sesame can get home delivery of drugs, and the list of generic drugs is $5. Their prescriptions are automatically refilled at the same price.
Similar to Wal-Mart’s $4 list, Sesame includes common medications in a variety of situations, including birth control pills, statins, antihistamines, and antidepressants.
David Goldhill wrote a book condemning the expensive and opaque medical system, and he founded the company with the idea of making it easier for patients to “shopping” for in-person consultations. For example, suppliers can use it to fill vacant appointments after cancellation, or to bundle multiple services together at a cash price.
Last year, the The company raised $24 million in fundingGoldhill pointed out that Sesame’s face-to-face payment model has received a lot of attention in telemedicine. The startup currently has more than 1,000 suppliers, and its services range from cheap telemedicine consultations for $25 to treatments, dermatology visits, X-rays and CT scans.
Sesame is one of several direct-to-consumer health startups that have recently gained attention.Startups Sims with Luo Are growing rapidly, and some companies, such as FOLX, This method is being tailored for LGBTQ patients and other populations.
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