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 On Wednesday, the Palo Alto-based startup, which is backed by
investor Vinod Khosla, introduced a virtual-consult service called
HealthTap Prime. Consumers can opt to pay $99 a month to text or
video conference with a physician, online or via a smartphone.
It remains to be seen whether patients will be willing to pay
out-of-pocket for HealthTap's service, which is not covered by the
largest insurers.
HealthTap faces competition from startups such as DoctoronDemand,
which lets patients dial up a licensed physician for $40, as well as
technology companies such as Cisco. And given their doctors'
inability to take samples, examine patients closely or employ
equipment, it is unclear how it can be useful beyond consultation
for minor ailments.
HealthTap began as an Internet service for people to ask questions
and receive responses from licensed physicians. Since 2010, the
WebMD rival claims that 60,000 physicians have registered for the
service.
Tele-health, which allows care providers to interact with patients
via devices and related digital technology, is an increasingly big
business. Research firm IHS forecast that the U.S. market will grow
to $1.9 billion in 2018 from $240 million in 2013.
Khosla, who runs Khosla Ventures, recently became an advisor to the
company, and argues that HealthTap can compete against more
entrenched competitors.
"Innovation almost always comes from outside," Khosla told Reuters.
"The largest health systems don't want to disrupt existing business
models."
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According to Gutman, the HealthTap experience is differentiated by
high-definition video and checklists for people to manage their
health after receiving a formal diagnosis. It is advertising-free
and intends to remain that way.
"We're leaving several million dollars on the table each month by
not doing advertising, or selling health data to big pharma," Gutman
said.
It can take a few minutes for a patient to connect to a doctor for a
live video call, Gutman said. A doctor can then prescribe medication
through the company's apps or online site, which patients still have
to pick up at a pharmacy.
In recent years, telehealth has received some support in Washington
D.C., with both Republicans and Democrats seeing an opportunity to
drive down healthcare costs.
(Reporting by Edwin Chan. Editing by AndreGrenon)
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