New health care pilot launched for members of Walmart’s Sam’s Club

A new health care pilot program will launch through Walmart’s Sam’s Club in October, designed to assist those who avoid health care because of costs.

Sam’s Club members in Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina will be permitted to buy one of four bundles that provide discounts to add to insurance and/or out-of-pocket payments through the Sam’s Club Care Accelerator Together with Humana, according to a Sam’s Club press release.

{mosads}The cost of these programs ranges from $50 for individuals and $240 for a family including up to six members, according to the release.

“Access to high-quality maintenance healthcare has been shown to improve overall, long-term health,” the press release stated. “We believe this program will help our members decrease out-of-pocket costs so they can better manage their budgets and their health.”

Sam’s Club Health and Wellness senior vice president Lori Flees told The Associated Press that the program could eventually move to other states to assist people who would normally ignore health problems due to the cost of addressing them.

“We are lowering the barrier for people to take care of themselves,” Flees said.

The release clarified that the Care Accelerator is not a health insurance plan but a discount program.

Deductibles for single coverage in employer-sponsored health care programs average $1,655, meaning the patient would have to pay that amount before being covered, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The program will supply members with savings on dental services, vision exams, optical products and free prescriptions, according to the release.

It will also allow users to receive services through an app, where they can input their symptoms, which will be provided to a doctor.

Updated at 10 a.m.