Telemedicine: 98point6 App Now Available In All 50 States And D.C.

On-demand primary care startup, 98point6 has announced that its app is now available in all 50 states and Washington D.C., as more players play in the increasingly crowded telemedicine field.

Robbie Cape, the chief executive officer and co-founder of 98point6, described the feat as a milestone in the startup’s quest to provide affordable primary care across the U.S.

Accessible and affordable primary care

“We believe in the critical importance of primary care and its role in improving the quality of life for individuals, communities and the world. Our mission is to make primary care accessible and affordable to as many people as possible and we’re excited our service is now available nationwide,” Cape said in a statement.

The startup, according to a company press release, employs machine learning and automation, helping doctors optimize and complete tasks that do not require direct physician interaction. “Rather than having doctors ask administrative questions, gather patient history or chart information, 98point6’s AI technology does it for them,” the company said.

The Seattle headquartered 98point6 says it is pioneering a new approach in primary care, where deep technology is paired with board-certified physicians to financing round, where it raised $50 million. The Merchant Banking Division of Goldman Sachs was an anchor investor in the Series C round, bringing the total amount the company had raised since its inception to $86.1 million.

At the time, 98point6 was available in 40 states, with a target to be accessible in all 50 states by early 2019. The startup said it would also use the funding to allow for expansion into new markets, including health plans, health systems and higher education. 98point6 has also contracted with 27 companies nationwide across a range of industries such as retail, technology, financial services, healthcare and manufacturing.

Crowded field

Although 98point6 continues to grow, it is playing in an increasingly crowded telemedicine field, as more players are enter the space. The North American telehealth market is expected to reach $9.49 billion by 2024.

Last year, Walgreen launched Find Care Now, which it described as a “digital platform and marketplace that helps connect our millions of mobile and online visitors to health care services at our stores and to a growing selection of recognized providers in the community.”

Also, at the tailend of last year, Enzyme Health raised $1.7 million in seed funding for its telemedicine program.

The U.S. government defines telemedicine as “the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, public health and health administration. Technologies include videoconferencing, the internet, store-and-forward imaging, streaming media, and terrestrial and wireless communications.”