Teladoc Health is expanding its retail partnership with a new partnership with Walmart to provide virtual care services through the company’s Better Care Services platform.
Walmart launched its digital health platform earlier this year as a one-stop hub to connect customers with third-party telehealth providers. In April, the retail giant expanded its platform’s weight management services to include access to GLP-1 medicines.
For Teladoc, the partnership with Walmart will give the retailer’s customers access to virtual urgent care, dermatology and nutrition services with insurance benefits and cash payment options. This follows the January launch of Teladoc Health’s mental health service BetterHelp on Walmart’s BetterCare service platform.
For a cash payment of $89 per visit, Walmart customers can access Teladoc Health’s virtual clinical care and connect with health care providers who treat a variety of common conditions, including sinus infections, conjunctivitis, urinary tract infections, cold and flu symptoms, and more. When visiting a dermatologist, patients can upload photos of their skin problems and receive support for issues such as rashes, sunburns, and skin infections. Within 24 hours, a board-certified dermatologist will perform a careful examination and share a diagnosis and a custom treatment plan, according to Teladoc Health.
The company’s nutrition services allow customers to work one-on-one with a registered dietitian for personalized nutrition guidance, as well as support for diabetes, weight management, and prenatal nutrition.
If a customer needs a prescription, they can have the medication sent to a pharmacy, including Walmart’s Pharmacy Services, for same-day delivery and, in many locations, prescriptions can be delivered within an hour, the companies said.
More than 100 million people access Teladoc Health’s services, and the company partners with more than 100 health plans in the United States.
The partnership brings together America’s largest retailer and Teladoc Health’s largest national network of virtual care providers to connect people where they already are, making care more convenient and affordable, Teladoc Health executives said.
“With millions of Americans already relying on Walmart for their everyday health and wellness needs, this partnership creates new touchpoints and brings our trusted clinical network and services directly into the Walmart experience,” Kelly Bliss, president of U.S. Group Health at Teladoc Health, told Fierce Healthcare. “This is a logical partnership. We want to be where Americans already make their health decisions. This partnership combines scale and scope to make quality virtual care available where they already make their health decisions.”
Teladoc Health’s services also include rapid insurance eligibility checks for the 1 in 3 Americans who already have Teladoc Health coverage through their employer or health plan.
“Healthcare should be accessible, understandable and affordable,” Leslie Fletcher, vice president of strategy and partnerships for Walmart US Health & Wellness, said in a statement. “With the addition of Teladoc Health, we continue to expand our better care services with more care options, combined with quick and convenient access to everyday health needs and prescriptions.”
Teladoc Health has expanded its retail and platform partnerships. Virtual care companies are integrating their chronic disease management services into Amazon’s marketplace to connect consumers with health benefit programs.
Teladoc recently partnered with Instacart to integrate cardiometabolic programs directly into grocery store access. Members can earn Instacart Health Fresh Funds, a digital grocery subsidy, by completing program-specific device checks such as blood sugar tests and smart scale weighing. Members can also add ingredients directly to their Instacart cart from Teladoc’s curated nutritional content, including heart-healthy dinner recipes and diabetes-friendly meal plans.
“We want to be everywhere people make choices about their health. The traditional channels have always been through health insurance plans and employers, and those obviously continue to be very important, but we know consumer behavior is changing and people are approaching their health and making health care decisions in many places,” Bliss said. “We intentionally show up wherever people are making decisions and choices that impact their health. That means helping our members find the care they need, whether it’s at Instacart where they can make healthier food choices or at Walmart, where millions of Americans shop every week. It’s our goal to make connecting with Teladoc in those moments as simple and easy as possible.”
