Startup 98point6 Raises $86M To Rival Amazon In Healthcare

Seattle-based 98point6 has officially launched nationwide availability of its on-demand primary care platform.

The company announced that the service, which delivers personalized consultation, diagnosis and treatment to patients across the country, is available to anyone 18 years and older, regardless of whether they have health insurance. Users can download the 98point6 app and subscribe to a Personal Plan for an introductory rate of $20 per year, which covers all primary care visits for the year. After the first year, the subscription will go up to $120 per year.

While people have been anticipating Amazon launching a healthcare service via Amazon Prime, the eCommerce giant has yet to make the move. But the former head of Amazon Prime, Rob Schwietzer, has been leading product at 98point6.

“Healthcare is really hard,” Schwietzer told CNBC. “But I do believe that people shouldn’t have to make decisions about whether they should go see a doctor when they need one, or go buy groceries for their family.”

Schwietzer and CEO Robbie Cape, a Microsoft veteran who created Cozi, have teamed up on 98point6, which uses machine learning and automation to help doctors optimize and complete tasks that don’t require direct interaction with the patient.

The company has revealed that about 50 self-insured employers have signed up for the service so far, and that it now has 160,000 members. It is now licensed to practice medicine in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C.

In addition, 98point6 recently raised $50 million from Goldman Sachs’ merchant banking division, with the rest from individual investors including BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Costco Founder Jim Sinegal, former Goldman Sachs CFO David Viniar and Frazier Healthcare Partners Managing Partner Nader Naini. The company has now raised $86 million in total.

“There are younger generations of people who don’t want to spend their time going to the doctor but are so comfortable using technology,” said Viniar. “And there are people in this country who live far from the doctor’s office, or can’t afford it.”