In today’s world, you can use your phone to order a ride, get a hot meal delivered, and even have groceries delivered to your front door.
Now, just in time for flu season, doctors are bringing house calls back with an app that brings the doctor to you.
From allergies to skin infections and tummy troubles, FetchMD brings your most common healthcare needs right to your front door.
Michael Zucker is the founder and CEO of the San Antonio-based company.
“We were getting calls all the time about how people just couldn’t get in to see their doctors, or they didn’t know where to go for very minor things,” he said.
Yvette Miller and her family have been using the company for a few years.
“There’s convenience in having somebody come out to your house when your kid is sick,” she said. “Instead of spending hours going to the doctor’s office, subjecting them to maybe more germs.”
Miller said that the visit times are also hard to beat.
“I can call FetchMD and they’re out here and gone in 30 minutes,” she said.
The app is convenient for healthcare providers, too. They can take on as many appointments as they’d like, on their own schedule.
Dr. Lisa Veale left her practice and is now a full-time provider for FetchMD.
“This model has really changed what we understand healthcare to be,” she said. “Clients can’t believe we’re going out to their house and say, ‘This is so easy,’” she said.
Here’s how it works: Simply log on to your FetchMD app, describe your symptoms, schedule an appointment, and within hours the doctor is at your door.
The visits cost a flat rate of $119 dollars per visit. A $35 fee covers any additional testing you may need.
Zucker says that although they are only in San Antonio and Austin right now, he has plans for expansion.
“It’s a very scale-able model, so we’re looking at other Texas markets,” he said.
FetchMD does not take insurance. They accept credit cards, debit cards, health savings accounts, and flexible spending accounts.
The app allows you to schedule appointments from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
They are also now offering free prescription delivery through a partnership with HEB pharmacy.