Patients endure a 38-day average wait for doctor's appointments. Some places like Boston see delays stretching to 70 days. These numbers paint a grim picture of healthcare bottlenecks.
Subscription-based healthcare now reshapes the scene with a better way to deliver medical care. Traditional healthcare providers squeeze in just 18-minute patient visits. Bask Health has noticed that subscription-based practices offer more time and complete care through extended consultations.
Subscription-based healthcare brings amazing benefits to providers and patients alike. Medical providers can set clear costs and focus on preventing illness. This leads to happier employees who take fewer sick days. Quality medical care becomes available at just $9 per month through modern subscription-based healthcare services. The traditional insurance model's burden disappears.
This piece shows you the key steps to build a soaring subscription-based telehealth service that meets today's healthcare needs. You'll discover ways to create a healthcare solution where quality care and availability work together perfectly.
Key Takeaways
- Growing Demand: Patients face long wait times for doctor visits, making telehealth a crucial solution.
- Subscription Model Benefits: Provides extended consultations, cost transparency, and predictable pricing.
- Diverse Subscription Plans: Models include Direct Primary Care (DPC), Virtual Primary Care (VPC), and employer-sponsored programs.
- Market Growth: The telehealth industry is expanding rapidly, driven by consumer demand for convenience.
- Technology Integration: Companies like Apple and Google enhance telehealth through digital innovations.
- Targeted Patient Segmentation: Services are customized based on age, health conditions, and care needs.
- Tiered Pricing Strategies: Basic, Plus, and Premier plans cater to different patient priorities and budgets.
- Enhanced Healthcare Access: Patients benefit from virtual consultations, remote monitoring, and wellness programs.
- Marketing Strategies: Digital marketing, SEO, and employer partnerships drive patient acquisition.
- Financial Sustainability: Subscription models ensure steady revenue while reducing administrative burdens.
- Future of Healthcare: Subscription-based telehealth is shaping the future of accessible and affordable medical care.
Understanding subscription-based healthcare Models
Bask Health has noticed a major change in healthcare delivery models. The global telehealth market reached $101.15 billion in 2023, and experts project it will grow 24.3% through 2030. These numbers show how people increasingly choose subscription-based healthcare services.
Types of subscription medical services
Subscription-based healthcare models serve different patient needs:
- Direct Primary Care (DPC)
- Adults pay $25 to $100 monthly
- Covers simple preventive services, office visits, and lab tests
- Builds strong bonds between patients and providers
- Patient panels stay small at 200-600 compared to traditional practices with 1,200-2,000
- Virtual Primary Care (VPC)
- Unlimited virtual consultations for one monthly fee
- Patients choose their preferred physician
- Remote monitoring happens continuously
- Works with existing health insurance plans
- Employer-Sponsored Programs
Market trends
Several notable trends shape subscription-based healthcare today:
- Convenience and Accessibility: Today's consumers value convenience more than traditional factors like reputation. Subscription models give them extended hours, same-day appointments, and telehealth options.
- Cost Transparency: Half of all consumers avoid healthcare when prices aren't clear. Subscription services solve this with predictable pricing and complete coverage plans.
- Tailored Care: Studies show that 66% of consumers expect providers to understand their specific needs. Subscription models respond with customizable memberships and personalized care paths.
- Technology Integration: Prominent companies like Apple, Google, and IBM enhance mobile health through various subscription plans. These breakthroughs focus on data security and uninterrupted patient experiences.
- Market Growth Indicators: Healthcare's subscription economy grew over 300% from 2012 to 2019. Companies that serve consumers directly plan to add subscription services in the future - about 75% of them.
- Provider Benefits: Subscription models give healthcare providers steady revenue and less paperwork. Doctors can focus on patient care instead of complex billing.
Planning Your Telehealth Service
Building a successful subscription-based telehealth service needs careful planning and smart decisions. Bask Health understands that creating value through subscription-based healthcare requires a deep understanding of what patients want and how the market works.
Identifying target patient groups
Patient segmentation is the life-blood of telehealth services that work. Our experience shows that healthcare spending is directly associated with age, which makes it crucial to customize services. Older patients typically want better management of chronic conditions. Younger patients just need convenient solutions for short-term healthcare issues.
Patient segmentation works best when we look at:
- Demographics and health status
- Geographic location and local healthcare variations
- Technology comfort levels
- Healthcare utilization patterns
Our data shows that segmentation helps providers organize care around patients instead of providers. This leads to more customized healthcare delivery. This approach also helps us see which patient groups can manage their health independently, which promotes responsibility for their own care.
Choosing service offerings
We make our subscription medical care platform's services line up with what our target market wants. Our largest longitudinal study helped us divide our offerings into two main categories:
Core Services:
- Primary care consultations
- Urgent care access
- Simple pathology and diagnostics
- Generic medication dispensing
- Physical therapy services
Enhanced Capabilities:
Our analysis found that there was a primary care product that could handle most services for the '80' segment with limited healthcare needs. Despite that, the '20' segment with complex healthcare needs needs reliable referral capabilities and detailed care coordination.
Setting subscription tiers
Our subscription tiers reflect what the market wants and patients' priorities. Recent data shows that 74% of millennials and 56% of Generation Z patients cancel appointments due to treatment costs. This led us to create a three-tier structure:
Basic Plan - $34.99/year
- Free telehealth urgent care
- Virtual lifestyle care
- Access to $0 prescription medications
Plus Plan - $9.99/month
- All Basic features
- Free virtual primary care
- Better care coordination
Premier Plan - $39.99/month
- All Plus features
- Mental healthcare access
- Physical therapy services
- Family plan options
The data shows that 18% of subscribers cite cost as the main factor in their decision-making, while 30% value convenience. Our research also shows that 27% of subscribers value VIP memberships that offer better access and loyalty benefits.
Smart planning and understanding what patients want helped us create a subscription-based healthcare model that balances accessibility, affordability, and detailed care. Our tiered approach will give patients appropriate care while keeping our telehealth service financially sustainable.
Building a Pricing Strategy
Subscription pricing models in healthcare need a careful balance between patient needs and market realities. Bask Health's research shows that patients value clear, predictable costs above everything else in subscription medical services.
Monthly vs annual plans
Our analysis reveals that monthly subscription fees typically range from $30.00 to $100.00. Annual plans offer economical solutions. Some providers give annual memberships at $99.00, which comes to just $11.00 per month.
We think over these most important factors when designing our pricing structure:
- Predictable revenue streams
- Patient retention rates
- Service utilization patterns
- Economic solutions for both parties
What to include in the basic tier
Basic-tier services must strike a balance between accessibility and business sustainability. Market analysis points to these essential features for basic plans:
Core Medical Services:
Basic plans between $69.00 and $99.00 monthly effectively cover primary care services and prescriptions. Many providers now offer unlimited virtual appointments and direct messaging with doctors starting at $39.00 monthly.
Premium features pricing
Premium tiers need smart pricing that shows their added value. Market research shows specialty plans start at $99.00 monthly, including:
Advanced Features:
Premium feature pricing changes based on:
- Service complexity
- Provider expertise
- Technology requirements
- Market needs
Subscription-based practices save money through quick service delivery and risk management. These savings help providers offer detailed care packages while staying profitable.
Multi-provider practices show clinic-based subscriptions average $50.00 per provider monthly. This setup allows shared waiting rooms and administrative controls. Enterprise solutions need custom pricing based on organizational requirements and size.
Value-based pricing helps premium features earn higher rates by delivering extra convenience and peace of mind. To name just one example, see how 24/7 physician access commands premium pricing due to its value proposition.
Our data shows that combining subscription plans with traditional insurance provides optimal coverage. Subscription plans might not cover hospital stays, but they offer more affordable options for routine care. States like Kansas, Washington, and Utah now allow subscription-based 'direct primary care' practices, showing growing support from regulators for this model.
Creating Patient Value
Patient value lies at the heart of subscription-based healthcare success. Bask Health's research shows that 80% of patients are more satisfied when they receive complete follow-up materials after their consultations.
Core medical services
Our subscription-based telehealth platform focuses on essential medical services that affect patient outcomes directly. Clinical data supports our offerings:
Virtual Consultations:
- Primary care visits with extended consultation times
- Mental health counseling with licensed therapists
- Specialist referrals through coordinated care networks
Remote Monitoring Capabilities:
Our platform connects primary care providers and specialists seamlessly. This reduces wait times for specialty consultations. Patients get better care coordination because primary care physicians can easily discuss diagnoses or treatments with specialists without extra referrals.
Additional wellness benefits
We have built complete wellness benefits that boost the overall patient experience beyond core medical services. Our data reveals that 67% of patients show increased loyalty to practices that give easy access to educational resources.
Digital Health Resources:
- Tailored health education materials
- Interactive wellness programs
- Medication management tools
Patient participation increases through these innovative features:
- Patient Portal Integration:
- Secure provider messaging
- Test result reviews
- Appointment scheduling
- Prescription refill requests
- Remote Care Solutions:
- Wearable device compatibility
- Automated medication reminders
- Daily activity tracking
Our platform has shown remarkable improvements in chronic disease management. To name just one example, diabetes patients maintain better blood sugar control through virtual education programs. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease need fewer outpatient visits.
Three key principles guide our wellness benefits:
- Accessibility: Patients can access care 24/7 on our platform.
- Personalization: Each patient gets custom care plans based on their specific health needs and priorities.
- Continuous Support: Integrated monitoring systems help maintain patient participation and support between visits.
Results prove our approach works: 90% of hospitals worldwide rely on similar content delivery systems to optimize engagement and outcomes. Our focus on patient education means four out of five patients report improved satisfaction with their healthcare providers.
Marketing Your Service
Marketing subscription-based healthcare just needs a mix of digital outreach and affordable patient acquisition. Bask Health's analytical insights have shown us what works best in telehealth marketing strategies.
Digital marketing channels
Healthcare providers must make patients aware of their options through multiple channels. Email marketing stands out as a highly effective and low-cost way to reach potential subscribers. Our targeted email campaigns have achieved great results by sharing:
Content Marketing Elements:
- Educational blog posts about telehealth benefits
- Patient success stories
- Service updates and new features
- Health tips and wellness information
Social media platforms are crucial to our marketing strategy because seven in ten adults use Facebook daily. Our social-first approach includes:
- Platform-Specific Content:
- Facebook to build community
- LinkedIn to grow professional networks
- Instagram to tell visual stories
- Google Performance Max campaigns to reach target audiences
Search engine optimization remains the foundation of our digital presence. Our website acts as the hub for all digital marketing activities with:
- Dedicated telehealth service pages
- Educational resources
- Easy appointment scheduling
- Clear pricing information
Patient acquisition costs
Healthcare marketing metrics typically show these results:
- Click-through rate: 6.11%
- Cost per click: $4.22
- Conversion rate: 7.118%
- Cost per lead: $53.53
We use several strategies to optimize acquisition costs:
Cost-Effective Channels:
- Email and text messaging for seasonal outreach
- Strategic collaborations with local clinics and pharmacies
- Patient referral programs
- Community engagement initiatives
Direct-to-employer channels bring higher revenue per sale. This approach helps us:
- Cooperate with employee benefits brokers
- Create customized corporate packages
- Show detailed ROI analysis to employers
Payer partnerships give us our biggest chance for revenue. These relationships usually require:
- Extended negotiation periods
- Complete product evaluation
- Detailed financial analysis
- Quality assurance documentation
We track our patient lifetime value (PLV) against acquisition costs to stay competitive. Our target is a 3:1 PLV to PAC ratio. This approach propels development while giving value to our subscribers.
Conclusion
Success in subscription-based telehealth services depends on multiple factors. Service planning, pricing strategies, patient value creation, and marketing play crucial roles. Bask Health has witnessed this model tackle key healthcare challenges while creating steady revenue streams for providers.
Subscription-based healthcare brings remarkable benefits to everyone involved. Patients enjoy predictable costs and better health outcomes. The model also creates deeper patient participation. Smart pricing tiers make services available to patients of all income levels. Subscribers receive complete wellness benefits that provide long-term value.
Patient needs and quality care delivery remain the cornerstones of subscription-based telehealth success. Healthcare providers can build thriving practices that meet today's healthcare needs with the right planning, pricing, and marketing approach.
We see subscription-based telehealth shaping what a world of affordable healthcare looks like. Providers who adopt this model now will become leaders in healthcare's state-of-the-art solutions. They'll be ready to serve patients who increasingly prefer digital-first healthcare.
References
- Wolters Kluwer. Beyond the call: How to differentiate your telehealth experience post-visit. Wolters Kluwer Expert Insights. https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/beyond-the-call-how-to-differentiate-your-telehealth-experience-post-visit. Accessed February 13, 2025.
- Wolters Kluwer. Beyond the call: How to differentiate your telehealth experience post-visit. Wolters Kluwer Expert Insights. https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/beyond-the-call-how-to-differentiate-your-telehealth-experience-post-visit. Accessed February 13, 2025.
- Wolters Kluwer. Beyond the call: How to differentiate your telehealth experience post-visit. Wolters Kluwer Expert Insights. https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/beyond-the-call-how-to-differentiate-your-telehealth-experience-post-visit. Accessed February 13, 2025.
- MakoRx. Comparing costs: Subscription health plans vs. traditional insurance. MakoRx Blog. https://www.makorx.com/blog/comparing-costs-subscription-health-plans-vs-traditional-insurance/. Accessed February 13, 2025.
- PYMNTS. GNC adds telehealth subscription tiers as merchants rethink pricing structures. PYMNTS Subscription Economy. https://www.pymnts.com/subscriptions/2023/gnc-adds-telehealth-subscription-tiers-as-merchants-rethink-pricing-structures/. Accessed February 13, 2025.
- PYMNTS. GNC adds telehealth subscription tiers as merchants rethink pricing structures. PYMNTS Subscription Economy. https://www.pymnts.com/subscriptions/2023/gnc-adds-telehealth-subscription-tiers-as-merchants-rethink-pricing-structures/. Accessed February 13, 2025.
- Elation Health. The different types of membership-based practices in telehealth. Elation Health Blog. https://www.elationhealth.com/resources/blogs/the-different-types-of-membership-based-practices. Accessed February 13, 2025.
- American Telemedicine Association. Why telemedicine? Benefits and advancements in virtual healthcare. American Telemedicine Association Resources. https://www.americantelemed.org/resource/why-telemedicine/. Accessed February 13, 2025.
