One Medical Review

One Medical

Why We Like Them

One Medical is a healthcare startup that offers an elevated level of primary care by hiring elite doctors, offering cutting-edge preventative care technology, and boasting nearly non-existent office wait times. It hopes to help reduce overall healthcare costs by shifting the focus from emergency to preventative medicine. 

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Accepts Insurance
Accepts HSA/FSA

One Medical Prices

Conditions Treated

Table of content

    One Medical Company Overview 

    This concierge healthcare model offers 24/7 same-day primary care, available via video chat or in one of its 85-plus stylishly decorated offices. It boasts wait times of five minutes or less and between-appointment communication through email and app chats. 

    All patients can view their medical records on the app and manage appointments.

    One Medical partners with dozens of employers and promises that even with the $200 annual subscription fee, companies will pay out less in healthcare costs over time. This is because the company focuses on premium care and preventative care, claiming both keep patients out of emergency rooms. Instead of heading straight for the hospital, patients can instead chat about urgent care symptoms with doctors online. 

    Users receive reminders to schedule appointments for flu shots, blood pressure tests, and common vaccinations. These preventative measures can help keep emergency room visits to a minimum. 


    Is One Medical Right For You? 

    This primary care startup definitely has a niche: patients who want custom care, backed by technology, in a posh setting. We’d recommend One Medical for anyone who:

    • Loves using tech to stay healthy (appointment reminders, immunization expirations, allergy season updates, etc.)
    • Wants to see a top doctor who graduated from a prestigious medical school
    • Hates ho-hum doctor’s office decor
    • Needs more than a rushed 10-minute appointment once a year
    • Wants to invest in preventative care

    One Medical offices are currently based in 11 cities around the world and are scheduled to open in two more soon. This concierge medical team is currently available in the following cities:

    • Atlanta (coming soon)
    • Austin (coming soon)
    • Boston
    • Chicago
    • Los Angeles
    • New York
    • Orange County
    • Phoenix
    • Portland
    • San Diego
    • Seattle
    • SF Bay Area
    • Washington, D.C.

    Is One Medical Credible?

    One Medical was founded by top medical field professionals. CEO and president Amir Dan Rubin was previously an EVP and divisional CEO at UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division and also served as president and CEO of Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto; he also served as COO for UCLA Health.

    CTO Kimber Lockhart formerly worked at Box and has been named one of Business Insider’s Top 30 Leaders Under 40 and holds a spot on Changing Healthcare and Modern Healthcare’s 25 Emerging Leaders list..

    Rajneesh Behal, MD, MPH, Chief Quality Officer previously served as chief quality officer, associate dean for quality, and clinical professor of medicine at Stanford. He also currently teaches physician leadership development at Harvard, Stanford, and UC San Diego.

    One Medical’s doctors have graduated from some of the most prestigious institutions in medicine. In addition to such high credentials, the One Medical board looks for doctors who crave learning and treating patients as people instead of diagnoses. 

    Forbes named One Medical one of the 100 Most Customer-Centric Companies.

    Some of the country’s top startups and organizations have partnered with One Medical, including:

    • Airbnb 
    • ClassPass
    • Evernote 
    • Instacart 
    • Pinterest 
    • Pandora 
    • Zendesk 
    • Soulcycle 
    • Yelp


    Healthcare Conditions Treated by One Medical  

    One Medical is similar to any primary care provider. Just some of the medical conditions this health care center treats include:

    Primary Care Services

    One of the main tenets of One Medical’s healthcare practice is preventative medicine. The company claims it can cut emergency care costs by offering high-quality preventative medical services. Since the platform also boasts virtual doctor and nurse practitioner visits, it maintains that most emergency care visits can be prevented by simply chatting with an urgent care specialist online.

    Doctors collect information on lifestyle, genetics, and goals to help create a holistic care plan. Primary care physicians work with nutritionists and specialists to keep patients healthy and happy.

    Everyday Care

    One of the platform’s most important offerings is what they call everyday care — and what most of us consider sick care. Patients can log on to the app to chat virtually with a doctor when they’re too sick to head to one of the medical clinics or get same-and-next-day in-person appointments. 

    Nutritional Counseling

    One avenue of health care that most doctors gloss over is the importance of nutritional care and using food as medicine. That’s why nutritional counseling is offered to help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, after all.

    The platform also has a special team dedicated to high blood pressure management. Most adults have no idea they have hypertension, which is why so many people end up in the emergency room instead of the doctor’s office to treat it. One Health doctors can monitor lifestyle choices, medications, and warning signs of heart disease. 

    Chronic Diseases

    Whether you suffer from diabetes, arthritis, or asthma, One Medical doctors can help you manage your symptoms and work specialists to ensure you keep such problems under control. Some of the chronic conditions doctors are skilled with include:

    • Acne
    • Arthritis
    • Asthma
    • Cancer 
    • Chronic pain
    • Diabetes
    • Digestive disorders
    • Headaches
    • Heart disease
    • High blood pressure
    • HIV
    • Insomnia
    • Lipid disorders
    • Menopause
    • Overweight and obesity
    • Polycystic ovaries
    • Sleep apnea
    • Smoking cessation
    • Substance abuse
    • Thyroid conditions
    • Weight management

    Family Medicine

    One Medical’s family practice is one of the best in the country. It offers parents round-the-clock care, discouraging those late-night Google searches to diagnose a child’s symptoms. 

    Parents can chat with doctors 24/7, and they’re never made to feel bad for asking every ‘is this normal’ question under the sun. Constant communication is actually encouraged in this family practice. Parents can also easily book same-day appointments that fit into their work schedules and video chat with doctors day or night.

    Offices feature stroller parking and new toys, books, and games. No more wondering if that sticky picture book is covered in some other kid’s germs. 

    Since health clinics are located all over San Francisco and New York City and other cities throughout the U.S., parents no longer need to make that out-of-the-way trip to see a doctor after baseball, dance class, or work. Clinics also feature on-site labs and lactation consultants. 

    Doctors are also trained to explain health care issues to your little ones, so you don’t need to rack your brain, trying to explain why one of your kids can’t eat nuts while the other ones are safe to snack away. 

    All medical professionals have just as a good bedside manner with kids as they do adults. This means you’ll never be shamed for your choices regarding your kids’ mental and physical health.


    How Does One Medical Work?

    Signing up for One Medical is relatively easy. Many of its patients are referred by a program through work; those who haven’t been referred can still take advantage of its benefits. To sign up for One Medical, simply:

    1. Create an account online
    2. Pay the annual fee
    3. Fill out your medical history
    4. Schedule a virtual or in-person appointment through the app
    5. Specify the type of appointment you need (annual checkup, symptom diagnosis, etc.)

    That’s it! You’ll get a reminder before your appointment; on the day of your appointment, you’ll check in at the front desk of one of One Medical’s posh offices and see your specialist within five minutes of the appointment start time. 


    One Medical Does NOT treat Some Conditions 

    One Medical does pretty much everything you’d find in a traditional clinic setting — and more. The only area of healthcare this virtual and in-person doctor team doesn’t specialize in is emergency care.

    If you need to go to the hospital, One Health will coordinate emergency care as needed and works with the hospital to determine the best course of follow-up care. It provides referrals for specialists and hospital-based services. Should you need to visit several hospitals, One Health will make sure your records are transferred to each hospital you visit.

    One less thing on your plate in a time of crisis? Phew.


    Pricing: How Much Does One Medical Cost? 

    One Medical charges a flat fee for a health plan membership. Currently, this fee is $199 a year. 

    Not included in the fee of standard memberships is the cost of visits and services. Yet, One Health does accept most major health insurance plans, so not much will change price-wise between this healthcare provider and your primary care physician.


    What Do We Think About One Medical?

    We’re really impressed with the high level of service offered by One Medical. We love the stylish light-filled offices, impressive doctor qualifications, and upgrade of the existing model of healthcare practices. 

    Since One Medical does bill insurance, this isn’t an alternative for someone who wants to find insurance-free medical care (for that, we’d recommend the virtual primary care practice, Sherpaa). 

    Yet we do think that One Medical has its head in the right direction when it comes to patient care. Healthcare services, like super-short wait times, same-day appointments, and text reminders designed to keep patients out of the emergency room? If that isn’t heaven, we don’t know what is.

    If you’re tired of feeling rushed through your appointments and like you’re just another symptom, check out One Medical’s team of people-person doctors. 

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