Having health insurance and being able to afford healthcare are not always the same thing.
In 2024, an estimated 27.1 million Americans — about 8% of the population — went the entire year without health insurance, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. At the same time, the Commonwealth Fund found that 23% of working-age adults who were insured throughout the year were underinsured, meaning their coverage still left them exposed to healthcare costs that made care difficult to afford.
The affordability problem can have real consequences. Among underinsured adults surveyed by the Commonwealth Fund, 57% said they had avoided needed healthcare because of cost, while 44% reported medical or dental debt they were paying over time.
Uninsured Americans face an even steeper challenge. KFF found that nearly four in 10 uninsured adults in 2024 delayed, skipped or went without needed healthcare or medication because of cost. More than six in 10 uninsured adults said affordability was a reason they lacked coverage.
It is that gap — between having access to healthcare on paper and being able to afford to actually use it — that ClearCost MD founder Andre Fells says his company is trying to address.
“The healthcare conversation in America can’t stop at whether someone has insurance,” Fells said. “The real question is whether people can afford to use the healthcare available to them. ClearCost MD was created to help close that gap.”
Building Around the Affordability Gap
ClearCost MD is a nationwide virtual healthcare membership designed for individuals and families who want another way to access routine care, whether they are uninsured, underinsured or already enrolled in a traditional health plan.
The company describes its model as “Direct-to-Doctor” virtual healthcare. Health insurance is not required to enroll or access the membership’s services.
Members pay a monthly fee for access to virtual urgent care, primary care, mental and behavioral health support, dermatology, crisis management, patient advocacy, health education and virtual pet health.
Many services are included in the membership price, with certain services available at a $0 copay and unlimited use. Primary care visits range from $0 to $20 per visit, depending on the service.
The goal, according to the company, is to give members a clearer understanding of what routine healthcare will cost before they seek care.
That can be particularly important for people with high-deductible insurance plans. Insurance may protect against major medical expenses, but deductibles, copays and other out-of-pocket costs can still influence whether someone schedules a routine appointment.
National data show the issue is not limited to people without coverage. KFF reported that 17% of privately insured adults in 2024 delayed or went without needed care or medication because of cost.
One Membership for Up to Eight People
ClearCost MD also takes a household approach to healthcare access.
One membership can cover the primary member plus up to seven dependents, allowing as many as eight people to access eligible services under a single membership.
The company also includes virtual pet health and pet prescription savings, extending the household concept beyond human family members.
For uninsured families, the structure can provide a way to access certain everyday healthcare services without purchasing separate memberships for every person.
For those who already have insurance but face high deductibles or out-of-pocket expenses, ClearCost MD can be used alongside existing coverage.
The company emphasizes that the membership is not health insurance and does not replace comprehensive major medical coverage.
Savings Beyond the Virtual Doctor Visit
The company’s strategy extends beyond telehealth.
ClearCost MD members also receive access to savings programs for prescription medications, dental care, vision services, chiropractic care, laboratory testing, medical imaging, gym memberships, diabetic and medical supplies, and other health and wellness expenses.
That broader approach is designed around the reality that a healthcare expense often does not end when a doctor visit does.
A patient may still need medication, laboratory testing, imaging or other services after receiving medical advice. ClearCost MD is attempting to connect routine virtual care with additional opportunities to reduce those costs.
ClearCost Meds Expands the Direct-to-Consumer Model
ClearCost MD has also expanded its consumer healthcare offerings through ClearCostMeds.com, a separate platform focused on lifestyle and wellness medications.
ClearCost Meds provides access to treatments in areas including weight management, men’s and women’s health, hair growth and other wellness needs.
The platform reflects the broader expansion of direct-to-consumer healthcare, where patients can increasingly seek consultations and treatment options outside traditional insurance-based channels.
ClearCost Meds is positioned as a complementary offering to ClearCost MD’s broader focus on affordability, convenience and direct access to healthcare.
Small Businesses Face the Same Challenge
The affordability issue also extends to employers.
Small businesses may struggle with the cost of providing traditional group health insurance, particularly when their workforce includes part-time, hourly, contract or lower-wage employees.
ClearCost MD allows employers to offer workers access to virtual healthcare without attempting to replace a comprehensive health insurance plan.
Companies can offer the membership as a supplemental benefit for employees who already have insurance or as an additional healthcare resource for workers who may not have access to employer-sponsored coverage.
The company also positions the benefit as a potential recruitment and retention tool for smaller employers competing for workers.
What ClearCost MD Does — and Does Not — Replace
ClearCost MD is not health insurance.
The membership does not cover hospitalization, emergency-room treatment or major medical services. Consumers still need comprehensive insurance or another form of financial protection for those expenses.
Instead, the company focuses on the healthcare needs that occur more frequently: an urgent medical question, a primary care consultation, mental health support, a dermatology concern or assistance navigating healthcare services.
ClearCost MD says members can access its network 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, through more than 500 licensed providers, with services available across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Learn more at clearcostmd.com.
Fells brings more than 14 years of experience across healthcare sales, business development, insurance and provider organizations. His experience on both the insurance and provider sides of healthcare helped shape the company’s focus on a problem that increasingly extends beyond insurance status alone.
When Coverage Isn’t the Same as Access
The distinction between being insured and having affordable access to healthcare is becoming increasingly important.
The Commonwealth Fund found that only 56% of working-age adults in its 2024 survey had continuous insurance coverage that provided what researchers considered affordable access to care. Another 23% were insured all year but classified as underinsured.
For ClearCost MD, those numbers represent a market that extends well beyond people who have no insurance at all.
The company is betting that uninsured families need an affordable doorway into routine care, while millions of insured Americans need another option when deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses make using their insurance difficult.
Virtual healthcare memberships will not solve every problem in the U.S. healthcare system, nor can they replace comprehensive insurance.
But as millions of Americans continue to struggle with the cost of accessing care, ClearCost MD is building its model around a straightforward idea: healthcare coverage matters, but being able to afford to actually use healthcare matters too.
