Store launches health care pilot for its members

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Sam’s Club is teaming up with several health care companies to offer discounts on routine care that customers might delay or skip because of the cost.

Starting next month, Sam’s Club members in Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina will be able to buy bundles of health care services that include discounted dental care, free prescriptions for certain generic medications, and telehealth consultations.

Fees range from $50 for individuals to $240 for up to six family members. The pilot program could potentially expand to all states, said Lori Flees, senior vice president of Sam’s Club Health and Wellness.

The move comes as health care expenses place a growing strain on the budgets of many families and individuals, even those that have insurance coverage. Sam’s Club emphasized that the new initiative is not a health insurance plan but a discount health program designed to supplement insurance and bring down the costs patients pay out of pocket.

Annual deductibles for single coverage in employer-sponsored health plans have doubled over the past decade and now average $1,655 among plans that have deductibles, according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. These deductibles, which a patient has to pay before most coverage starts, can be much higher for families and for individual plans purchased outside an employer.

Sam’s Club, where members pay an annual fee, says its program is designed to cater to individuals, business owners and families who are delaying or skipping basic care because of high deductibles.