Walmart expands virtual patient care offerings with Teladoc integration

Roughly two years after closing its clinics nationwide and shutting down its virtual health business, Walmart is making new headway into the healthcare space, this time partnering with Teladoc to provide its customers with telehealth services.

Announced on Thursday, Teladoc said it will be integrating into Walmart’s new virtual patient care platform. Launched in January, the Better Care Services initiative currently matches users to providers offering telemedicine services while providing direct access to Eli Lilly’s popular weight-loss drugs.

Now it will expand to allow members to use Teladoc for urgent care needs, in addition to dermatology and nutrition services. The companies confirmed they will be looking to target both patients who have insurance and those who pay for care out of pocket.

This aligns with the goals Walmart set when it went live with the platform in January, where the retail giant said it was looking to fill a gap in the market caused by the end of subsidies for plans sold on the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

The dramatic rise in the cost of premiums left millions of Americans without full coverage, and many have turned to cash-based concierge medicine options as well as virtual care, which can provide access to prescription drugs at lower cash-pay rates than a typical office visit.

For Teladoc, a statement confirmed that virtual visits will cost $89, giving anyone direct access to a provider through Walmart Better Care Services capable of providing a basic exam, prescribing medications and connecting users with follow-up or specialty care as necessary.

Teladoc will be available 24/7, allowing providers to develop treatment plans as needed. With the dermatology and nutrition component, this includes examination of rashes and moles, as well as diet plans and diabetes management.

Through Better Care Services, patients will be able to find medications and food products available at Walmart that align with their care plans, as established by physicians and advanced care practitioners working through Teladoc.

“Walmart is where millions of Americans already go for everyday needs, and now, getting care from Teladoc Health can be part of that same experience," Kelly Bliss, Teladoc Health’s President of U.S. Group Health, said in a statement. “By removing friction and meeting people where they are, virtual care becomes something people choose first, not just something they can access."

Prior to the expansion, Better Help—a mental and behavioral health application—was already integrated into the Walmart platform. By adding these new offerings, Teladoc and Walmart said they’re reflecting a “shared focus on improving access and making care more convenient and connected.”

“Healthcare should be easier to access, easier to understand and more affordable,” Leslie Fletcher, Vice President, Strategy and Partnerships, Walmart U.S. Health & Wellness, stated. “By adding Teladoc Health we’re continuing to expand Better Care Services with more options for care, paired with fast, convenient access to everyday health needs and prescriptions.”