How much is a goodrx doctor visit

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GoodRx, America’s leading marketplace for affordable and convenient healthcare, announced today the launch of GoodRx Care, powered by HeyDoctor. Starting today, Americans can conduct an online medical visit with a board-certified medical professional to get fast and easy treatment, prescriptions, and lab tests for routine medical issues. This new service is a result of GoodRx’s recent acquisition of HeyDoctor, the leading physician-founded provider of online medical services.

This new service comes at a time when Americans find that getting access to primary care physicians to be increasingly difficult. For those with insurance, the average wait time to see a doctor is 24 days and growing1, and the United States is expected to see a shortage of as many as 120,000 physicians by 2032, with a shortage of up to 55,000 primary care physicians in particular2. Compounding the problem, as of last year, over 27.5 million Americans do not have health insurance3. As healthcare costs continue to rise and many insurance plans cover fewer services than they did a year ago, consumers need affordable options for their routine health needs. With the introduction of GoodRx Care, Americans now have easy access to a network of qualified medical professionals so they can get the treatment they need, when they need it.

“Over the years, we’ve helped millions of Americans find affordable solutions for their prescription medications, but we’ve also learned that many people struggle to get to the doctor,” said Doug Hirsch, co-CEO and co-founder of GoodRx. “GoodRx Care aims to help fill in the gaps in care to improve access, adherence, and affordability of medical care for all Americans.”

GoodRx Care connects patients with or without insurance to board-certified physicians who provide an array of primary care services, including lab testing, refills of preventive and chronic medications, and treatment for acute medical conditions. These services include birth control, smoking cessation, erectile dysfunction, urinary tract infections and more. Most visits are just $20 (lab tests require additional fees). When patients are prescribed a medication by a doctor through GoodRx Care, GoodRx will provide pharmacy discounts for the lowest prices available. GoodRx does not sell any medications itself.

“In an increasingly fragmented and confusing healthcare system, our goal is to provide a one-stop shop for services that address most basic healthcare needs,” said Hirsch.

To learn more about GoodRx Care, check out goodrx.com/care.

About GoodRx

GoodRx is the country’s leading marketplace for affordable and convenient healthcare. The company offers the most comprehensive and accurate resource for prescription medications in the U.S., gathering pricing information from thousands of pharmacies coast to coast. More than 10 million consumers use GoodRx each month to find current prices and discounts for their medications. Since 2011, Americans with and without health insurance have saved more than $14 billion using GoodRx – more than $5 billion in 2019 alone. With GoodRx Care, Americans can get an online medical visit with a skilled physician for fast and easy treatment, prescriptions, and lab tests for routine medical issues. GoodRx is the #1 medical app on the iOS and Android app stores and thousands of doctors recommend GoodRx to their patients. For more information, visit www.goodrx.com.

[1] https://www.merritthawkins.com/uploadedFiles/MerrittHawkins/Content/Pdf/mha2017waittimesurveyPDF.pdf
[2] https://news.aamc.org/press-releases/article/2019-workforce-projections-update/
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/10/business/economy/health-insurance-poverty-rate-census.html

Digital pharmacy GoodRx is now helping patients do more than just price shop for prescription drugs, co-founder and co-CEO Doug Hirsch told CNBC's Jim Cramer on Friday.

It's going directly into the world of medical services by launching GoodRx Care, which allows people to see a board-certified physician for a number of conditions, starting at just $20.

"We wanted to just have an easy solution that anyone could use to get quick care of the most pressing things that affect millions and millions of Americans, so they can stay healthy and stay out of the hospital," Hirsch said in a "Mad Money" interview.

The service was made possible by GoodRx's acquisition of telemedicine provider HeyDoctor, Hirsch said.

GoodRx's website lists the services it provides. Most are just $20, although those that require a lab may cost more. A visit for acne treatment is $20, whereas tuberculosis testing and referral, for example, is $100.

"Literally within a very short period of time have a visit from a board-certified physician, and if a prescription is necessary, we'll literally send your prescription to the pharmacy near you with a GoodRx coupon," Hirsch said.

Founded in 2011, GoodRx leverages technology to help people find and compare prescription drug prices. Through its website or app, it provides users with a coupon that can be used at pharmacies to secure lower prices. Hirsch said the coupons are accepted at "virtually every pharmacy in America."

"We're a marketplace in prescriptions, and with GoodRx Care, we're a marketplace for both prices for medical care and we're even offering medical care," Hirsch said.

Cramer said he's a believer in GoodRx because he has personal experience with it. In 2017, a prescription cost him $5,000, he said. But last year he used GoodRx for the same drug, and it cost $1,200, Cramer said.

"The only difference was I used GoodRx, which is why I said I can't believe others don't," Cramer said. "I frankly didn't believe it. ... It's like fantasyland."

Cramer then asked Hirsch how GoodRx, which was No. 6 on this year's CNBC Disruptor 50 list, is able to accomplish savings on prescription drugs. The company claims it has helped Americans save $10 billion on prescriptions.

"We went out to the pharmacies and said, 'Can we do better?' Because pharmacies don't want to charge these extraordinary amounts, but they have all sorts of limitations because of this system so they can't actually discount themselves," Hirsch said, referring to the complexities of the U.S. health-care system.

"One of the amazing things about American health care these days is there are often huge gaps in care," Hirsch said, adding that, in certain areas, it can sometimes take up to 30 days to see a doctor.

Because of that, Hirsch said GoodRx heard from users that there was a need for more affordable and convenient ways to see a doctor.

"We wanted to provide a service that was easy to use, so anyone could use it, with or without insurance," Hirsch said.

WATCH: Cramer checks in with GoodRx CEO Doug Hirsch

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