NEW YORK CITY, April 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sesame, the company building a radically new healthcare system for uninsured Americans and those with high-deductible plans, today unveiled an expansion of its partnership with Costco to offer specialized health care for weight loss with pricing exclusively for Costco Members.
The story was first reported by USA Today national consumer reporter Betty Lin-Fisher.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 42 percent of US adults are obese (defined as a body mass index above 30), comprising 108 million Americans. However, with recent medical advances in exercise and nutrition, and the development of exciting, effective new drug therapies, clinically-based weight loss has never been better positioned to make a significant difference to the problem, at scale.
“We are witnessing important innovations in medically-supervised weight loss,” said David Goldhill, Sesame‘s co-founder and CEO, and a serial author on American healthcare reform. “Sesame’s unique model allows us not only to make high-quality specialty care like weight loss much more accessible and affordable, but also to empower clinicians to create care plans that are specific to — and appropriate for — each individual patient.”
How does Sesame’s weight loss service work?
When Costco Members sign up for the weight loss program within the Sesame marketplace at the exclusive discount price of $179, they will:
- Receive three months of clinical consultation;
- select the clinician of their choice;
- have an initial live video consultation with the clinician;
- be able to message their clinician outside of scheduled appointments;
- receive a nutritional guide and recommendations;
- and be guided to an individualized, clinically-appropriate treatment program.
Sesame clinicians will begin by collecting a detailed medical history from each patient, and help patients with appropriate diet, exercise and lifestyle modifications. When clinically appropriate, the clinician may pair these interventions with medications, subject to their availability.
Individual patient eligibility for drug therapies available through Sesame are determined by the assessment of appropriateness of each therapy by the Sesame-listed provider, and are subject to availability.
The URL for Costco Members to access the service is www.CostcoWeightLoss.com.
What is Sesame?
Sesame has built a unique healthcare marketplace, connecting thousands of outpatient healthcare providers covering all 50 United States with American consumers seeking high quality, convenient medical care at half the price of what is typical.
The Sesame marketplace is composed of primary care doctors and nurse practitioners, more than 40 health specialties, labs and imaging centers, and is inclusive of both virtual and in-person care.
Sesame doesn’t accept health insurance, making it ideal for Costco Members that prefer to pay cash for their health care, whether it is because they are enrolled in high deductible insurance plans, are uninsured, or simply appreciate the price, quality and convenience of Sesame.
Costco and Sesame announced a partnership in September 2023 to deliver exclusive, low pricing from Sesame’s marketplace to Costco Members for core healthcare services like virtual primary care (starting at just $29 for Costco Members), health checkups (including lab work, just $72), and virtual mental health therapy (just $79).
This weight loss program represents an expansion of the partnership, which thus far has garnered a Net Promoter Score of 82 – considered a “world class” score – from Costco Members utilizing Sesame.
ABOUT SESAME:
Sesame is building a radically new healthcare system for uninsured Americans and those with high-deductible plans. The company's marketplace replaces historically inefficient, expensive healthcare with a direct connection – either virtually or in-person – between patients and physicians. This direct connection enables Sesame to offer doctor visits, labs, imaging and prescription drugs at half the price. Sesame is backed by private equity investors that include GV, Virgin Group, General Catalyst and Giant Ventures. The company was ranked #1 by Healthline for overall care in 2021, 2022 and 2023, as well as Best for Doctor Choice in 2023 by Forbes and most affordable telehealth in 2023 by CNET. For more information, visit sesamecare.com.
Attachments
- Costco unveils new weight loss service with healthcare partner Sesame
- Costco unveils new weight loss service with healthcare partner Sesame
