The conversations regarding the healthcare system can erupt into quite a lively debate — in fact, it can be a very contentious topic to discuss.
But, there’s one thing that both sides can agree on: We all need medical care at some point.
Traditionally, healthcare was seen as a benefit, one that was sought after as highly as salary.
Getting a job with good benefits meant getting a job that provided both a good salary and good healthcare coverage.
But, despite all our good intentions, finding affordable healthcare coverage can be quite the ordeal — the keyword being affordable.
K Health is one company looking to change that, and change it in a big way. Fed up with the state of the current healthcare system, they sought a better way.
Their mission is simple: Use the power of shared knowledge to get everyone access to affordable healthcare. Their approach, however, is somewhat of a novelty.
This digital health company provides a way to seek quality, personalized medical care from the comfort of home, without the stress of finding the closest doctor’s office or awkward video visits.
Great. But how? K Health created the first and only AI-driven primary care solution to connect its users with real physicians — all from the phone.
There’s no doubt that this approach is innovative, but is it legit? Is this AI-based approach to medical care all it’s cracked up to be? This review helps answer these questions and more.
K Health at a Glance
K Health is essentially a free app that used cutting-edge AI (artificial intelligence) software to get us started on the path to personalized health care.
Through the app, we’re able to chat with the AI to see how physicians diagnose and treat people that have similar symptoms by using millions of medical records.
To investigate our health, the AI is trained to ask smart questions about various symptoms, medical history, age, gender, biomarkers, and more.
The AI software has access to a large dataset of anonymized clinical data points to give you an instant idea of what might be going on. This is the first stop to putting your healthcare into your own hands.
Once the initial diagnosis is complete, we’re then able to have doctor chats with actual, real-life licensed physicians to discuss a personalized healthcare plan, no stuffy waiting rooms necessary — more on that in a bit.
In a nutshell, K Health leverages AI technology and expert clinicians to get us the best health advice and custom treatment plans possible, all from our phones.
The company was founded in 2016 by Allon Bloch. Its current headquarters is located in New York City. K Health partners with big names such as Mayo Clinic Platform, Maccabi Healthcare Services, and Anthem.
K Health’s creators raised over $48 million in 2020 to refine its AI symptom checker system. To date, K Health boasts over 5 million users and over 350 board-certified clinicians.
What We Like
- Unlimited text-based visits with licensed medical professionals
- Low-cost monthly membership costs
- Access to primary and urgent care day or night
- Access to Mental Health care and pediatric care
- Same-day prescriptions and renewals
What We Don’t Like
- Not appropriate for all medical conditions
- Useless for those without access to the internet or a smartphone
Getting Started with K Health
K Health’s truly changing the way healthcare is done. K Health removes the need to track down the right doctor and scrabble to fit in an appointment.
It provides a convenient way to check your symptoms without leaving your home, or even your couch — no need to wait in a stuffy doctor’s office.
Getting started was as simple as downloading the app, which is available both in the Apple Store and Google Play.
Using its one-of-a-kind AI-driven approach, K Health helped us narrow down our symptoms and condition from the health info we provided during the chat using insights from real medical cases.
Here’s how the symptom checker worked:
- We downloaded the free app from the app store (iOS and Android)
- We chatted with K Health about our symptoms
- K Health tailored question, based on our input to help narrow down the most likely cause
- The more questions we answered, the more clarification we received
- K Health gave us suggestions on common treatments, based on our symptoms
These suggestions took into account biological factors, such as age, gender, weight, and more.
Everything up to this point is part of the free service K Health offers. We found it easy to use and quite responsive. This portion certainly lived up to the hype.
Again, the success of this service lies in the vast medical database it has access to — over a billion data points in the health industry.
These data points include patient symptoms, doctor’s note, prescriptions, lab results, and more.
Taken together, they help provide the most accurate information possible, given the circumstances. If anything, it certainly beats the Google symptom search.
Connecting with a Physician
The symptom checker portion of the app is free. But, K Health does offer a way to take things a step further.
After you consult the symptom checker we had the option to connect and chat with a licensed doctor or nurse practitioner, to discuss possible treatment plans and prescriptions. A one-time virtual visit costs $23.
What Can Medical Conditions Can K Health Treat?
We’ve already discussed how K Health offers remote symptom diagnosis.
We had the option to take the information and run (for free) or take the process further by chatting with a physician for a fee of $23.
From here, questions can be answered by health professionals 24/7. They can even prescribe medications. You don’t have to be a member to use this service.
Some common symptoms and everyday health concerns include:
- Abdominal pain
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Back and neck pain
- Coronavirus/COVID-19 (including where to get tested)
- Sexual health issues like erectile dysfunction and STDs
- Minor injuries
- Headache
- Indigestion
- Dental pain
- UTIs and bladder infections
- Birth control
The list could go on and on. But, K Health doesn’t stop there. They also offer a subscription-based membership, giving us unlimited access to their vast team of physicians anytime, anywhere.
Their membership includes four online services:
- Primary Care
- Urgent Care
- Pediatrics
- Mental Health
Primary Care
Sadly, there are many people that lack access to primary care. But, K Health provides the answer by providing comprehensive primary care without the hassle.
Through their primary care service, users can manage current conditions and prevent new ones.
The fast, virtual intake process is simple — and all online. We simply provided the pertinent information to the online doctor to get started.
Virtual check-ins helped us get care on our schedules, day or night. Basically, we got to see a doctor without seeing a doctor. Make sense?
The K Health care team can remotely prescribe medication (offered at a steep discount), refill medications, order lab tests, and more.
K Health treats a variety of conditions, including migraines, GERD, asthma, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and more.
It’s available to individuals ages 18 – 64. Primary Care’s currently available in 16 states: CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IN, KY, ME, MT, NV, NH, NY, OH, VA, WI, and TX.
K Health’s primary care team can:
- Offer advice on preventative care
- Help diagnose and treat non-specialized medical conditions (or refer you to a specialist if necessary)
- Prescribe medications or refill prescriptions
- Help monitor our overall health
Urgent Care
Through K Health membership we also had access to Urgent Care. Common urgent care conditions include dental infections, UTIs, back and neck pain, rashes, cold and flu, and much more.
However, it’s important to note that this doesn’t include life-threatening emergencies. In these cases, 911 should always be the first course of action.
Also, 24/7 Urgent Care is only available in the continental United States (sorry, Hawaii and Alaska).
Pediatrics
Pediatric care’s also included with K Health membership. The only stipulation is that kids must be at least 3 years old or older.
Common pediatric concerns treated include allergies, asthmas, diarrhea, eczema, head lice, pink eye, swimmer’s ear, and more. K Health doesn’t treat strep throat, UTIs, or ear infections in children.
Mental Health
K Health membership also makes anxiety and depression treatment a little bit easier. Reaching out’s hard for those dealing with mental health issues, but K Health provides a safe space to reach out to licensed clinicians to better manage the symptoms.
Treatment conditions include stress, panic attacks, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, postpartum depression, and more.
K Health’s unable to treat some mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder.
Some medications they prescribe include Prozac, Lexapro, Celexa, Effexor, and Zoloft. Of course, these are prescribed at the doctor’s discretion.
Also, due to issues with substance abuse, K Health providers won’t prescribe addictive pharmaceuticals such as Xanax.
K Health Membership Costs
K Health prices are low, like super low. Membership’s only $12 a month (or $45 upfront for the year). K Health can also be used per visit for $23.
No appointments required, no surprise fees, no copays, no high deductibles, no insurance at all. It gives you access to all its services, from Primary Care to Mental Health.
We got unlimited access to K Health professionals as well as prescription medications.
What K Health Customers Are Saying
K Health’s customer review rating is quite remarkable, boasting a 4.6 out of 5 stars with over 40,000 reviews. Let’s take a look at some of the customer testimonials.
Worked for me! I had a dental abscess and needed antibiotics quickly. Don’t have health insurance and my local clinic could not see me for over a week which was to far away as I was in pain. Joined K Health a little skeptical but decided to do the 3 month for $27 option. Within 30 mins I had a consult via the k health app with a doctor who quickly and efficiently diagnosed what antibiotics I needed and sent the prescription straight to my local pharmacy. So for me I give it 5 stars.
— Sharon, 5/5 stars on Trustpilot
WONDERFUL!! Costs so much less than any copay or urgent care. Doctors are understanding and caring and quick to send any prescriptions you may need.
— Alana, 5/5 stars on Trustpilot
I was attacked by hornets and had a bad reaction. I went to the ER and they did NOTHING because I don’t have insurance. I lucked into finding this app! I gave my symptoms with a picture of my swelling then was prescribed steroids and something to help if they upset my stomach. Kind, caring, accurate, and courteous! Thank you so much! Highly recommended.
— John, 5/5 stars on Trustpilot
Some Common FAQs
Is my information private?
Yes. K Health is HIPPA compliant. Personal information is protected and only used to improve services. This information is anonymous and isn’t tied to you.
Can I get a doctor’s note and sick notes?
Yes. Doctors can write notes during pediatric and adult consultations when needed. But, for adults, only notes stating the date can be provided when a patient was seen and a treatment plan was established.
So, I can get my prescriptions online through the app?
Yes. K-affiliated doctors are able to write prescriptions if they deem it necessary. It can be picked up at a local pharmacy or shipped to you. Here’s a list of refill medications.
Can K Health do annual physicals?
Yes. K Health provides annual physicals with doctors via the app. No appointment needed.
Conclusion
So, is this AI-based medical care legit? Yes, it absolutely is.
For those looking for a convenient, cost-effective approach to healthcare, look no further. K Health’s vast network of licensed clinicians coupled with their innovative online format makes them a force to be reckoned with in the healthcare world.
From Primary Care to Mental Health, K Health offers membership at an extremely affordable price.
After reviewing this company one thing is clear, K Health’s truly shaping the future of healthcare, making it accessible to all.
Sources:
K Health: Healthcare Without The Costs | K Health
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? | IBM
NIMH » Mental Illness | National Institute of Mental Health
K Health’s Approach to Pricing | Why Prices Are So Low | K Health
Owner, entrepreneur, and health enthusiast.
Chris is one of the Co-Founders of Pharmacists.org. An entrepreneur at heart, Chris has been building and writing in consumer health for over 10 years. In addition to Pharmacists.org, Chris and his Acme Health LLC Brand Team own and operate Diabetic.org and the USA Rx Pharmacy Discount Card powered by Pharmacists.org.
Chris has a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation and is a proud member of the American Medical Writer’s Association (AMWA), the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP), the National Association of Science Writers (NASW), the Council of Science Editors, the Author’s Guild, and the Editorial Freelance Association (EFA).
Our growing team of healthcare experts work everyday to create accurate and informative health content in addition to the keeping you up to date on the latest news and research.
