Circle Medical, launching from this summer’s Y Combinator batch, is a full service medical practice that will come to you.
While other doctor-on-demand startups have existed for a while, Circle Medical’s goal is to provide a service that can used as a regular part of your life, not just in emergencies or last-minute situations.
To achieve this, the startup focuses on two pain points that traditionally keep patients tied town to a physical practice.
First, Circle Medical is considered in-network for over 97 percent of patients in California who have private insurance. This means a visit normally costs no more than your regular doctor, and often less.
The second unique aspect of Circle Medical is that all of its doctors are full time. This means you can pick a doctor and have them become your new primary care physician.
The app shows you a profile and background on all of the company’s doctors, as well as allows you to scan your insurance card and see potential copays in advance.
Circle Medical was founded by Brent LaRue, George Favvas, and Jean-Seabstien Boulanger. The three say that the service should be used just as a patient would use their regular doctors office.
This means the service specializes in things like annual checkups, flu shots, and blood tests…not just time-sensitive urgent care issues. Doctors will bring a medical kit as well as privacy blinds, and can meet either in your home or office.
Interestingly, doctors are actually getting paid a little more working for Circle Medical as opposed to working for a traditional practice.
Favvas explained that in a physical practice doctors typically get 20-30 percent of what is billed to insurance, with the rest going to overhead costs physical space, staff, and other costs that Circle Medical avoids. Circle Medical circumvents these additional costs, passing on savings to the patient and doctor.
The service operates seven days a week from 8am – 8pm, and is currently available anywhere in San Francisco. Interestingly, the doctors currently use Uber as their method of transportation from appointment to appointment, but Favvas said this may change in the future.
Circle Medical can be downloaded now on the iOS App Store.