NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Apr 20, 2016) - SingleCare, an online retail marketplace for healthcare services, officially launched today in the Philadelphia market following a beta rollout in April 2015. Since entering the market, SingleCare has created a simplified, transparent, retail environment that currently serves more than 7,000 Pennsylvania residents who would otherwise miss out on basic care because of affordability issues or gaps in health care coverage. Today, SingleCare is also rolling out its nationwide pharmacy and telehealth services, which allow members to receive dramatically discounted, pre-negotiated rates on prescription drugs and anytime access to a variety of medical professionals.
Using SingleCare's website, patients can search for prescription offerings at major pharmacies, including Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Kroger, and healthcare providers by specialty or location, comparing prices, booking appointments, and tracking their healthcare spending. SingleCare pre-negotiates prices that are up to 50 percent less than the provider's standard list price, and because SingleCare isn't insurance, there are no premiums or subscription fees -- members only pay for services received at the appointment. Plus, since users set up their payment information through a simple sign up process, payments are made directly to providers without any confusing billing or paperwork.
Through SingleCare's partnership with American Well, a leader in telehealth services, members also have access to physicians, counselors and dietitians at affordable, pre-negotiated prices 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This partnership further reinforces SingleCare's commitment to helping people use cutting-edge technology to make healthcare more affordable, to simplify the healthcare experience and to remove potential barriers like transportation and mobility issues.
In less than a year, SingleCare has grown its Pennsylvania network to more than 4,400 healthcare providers including doctors, dentists, chiropractors, mental health specialists, pharmacies and more. And it couldn't have come at a better time. According to a Philadelphia Department of Public Health report, 18.5 percent of Philadelphians aged 18 to 64 have no source of health insurance coverage and are forgoing needed care, which is nearly double what it was in 2000. And the reason why is simple: cost.
SingleCare's presence in Philadelphia provides access to a wide array of affordable services to three key groups: part-time employees without employer-sponsored insurance coverage, people enrolled in high-deductible health plans, and those who have medical coverage, but may not have dental, vision or prescription drug packages. SingleCare enables Philadelphia residents to find and afford care for situations that might otherwise go untreated.
"Healthcare doesn't have to be as hard to figure out, or as expensive, as it currently is. As premiums and deductibles rise, people are becoming more savvy about how they spend their healthcare dollars. Eighty percent of healthy people won't reach their deductibles. They are looking for quality care at a fair price, and it's been pretty hard to find," said Rick Bates, CEO and Co-Founder of SingleCare. "SingleCare gives people access to great providers and publishes their prices online so people can shop for their healthcare like they shop for other consumer goods and services."
Alongside Pennsylvania, SingleCare's full offerings are available in Arizona, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. As a major metropolitan city, Philadelphia serves as a prime example of how millions of Americans can eventually benefit from this innovative healthcare product. Its pharmacy and telehealth programs are available across the nation, with vision and hearing benefits coming soon.
For more information about SingleCare, please visit www.singlecare.com.
About SingleCare
SingleCare is reshaping the way we think about healthcare by creating an online, retail-like environment for patients and providers. We offer pre-negotiated, affordable rates for routine care and a variety of services that might not be covered in existing plans, and publish those rates so consumers can make more informed decisions about their healthcare and the subsequent costs, whether the individual has insurance or not. With an intuitive online platform and free membership, consumers can search, view and compare the cost of doctors, medical services, procedures and prescriptions; book an appointment; and then pay the pre-negotiated rate right away. For medical providers, SingleCare enables immediate payment for services rendered so they can reduce administrative burdens and cost. Currently active in four states, SingleCare has an extensive network of premier medical providers. Founded in 2014, SingleCare is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Sign up today at www.singlecare.com/signup.
Contact Information:
Media Contacts:
LaunchSquad for SingleCare
John O'Leary
singlecare@launchsquad.com