Sam's Club to Offer Bundled Healthcare with Fixed, Transparent Prices

News of the pilot program comes just after the first Walmart Health prototype opened earlier this month.

If providers can't give consumers price transparency for their healthcare services, patients will vote with their legs and find it somewhere else, whether it's at the competing the health system down the street or the retail clinic down the block.

In case you needed further evidence of this, Sam's Club is launching the Sam’s Club Care Accelerator Together with Humana, a pilot program that offers its members a series of bundled healthcare services that come with fixed, transparent prices for some of the most common primary care, dental, optical, and alternative medicine services.

It will test this program in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, and may expand it to all members in the future, according to a company blog post.

This news comes just after the first Walmart Health prototype opened, in which the retail giant partners with local providers to offer an array of services, including primary care, lab work, x-rays, EKGs, vision and hearing care, counseling, and more right there at the store, accessible through a separate entrance.

Beginning in early October Sam's Club members in the pilot states can visit samsclub.com/care to choose from one of four bundles ranging from $50 to $240 per year.

Sam's Club notes that the Care Accelerator is a discount health program, not a health insurance plan. Members pay the provider a discounted rate at the time of service.

For instance, the $240 per year family bundle covers up to six family members and includes access to a preventative lab screening; up to a 30% discount on chiropractic, massage therapy, and acupuncture services, and a 10% discount on hearing aids.

All four bundles include free prescriptions on certain generic medications and prepaid health debit cards to be used within the health services network.

The bundles also allow members to save on dental services; on unlimited telehealth for $1 per visit through 98point6; and on vision exams and optical products.