Sesame, a Valencia, Spain-based HR management startup, raised €23M in funding

Costco and healthcare marketplace Sesame have expanded their partnership to include a weight loss program.This collaboration now offers Costco members exclusive pricing on individualized clinical consultations around weight loss, Sesame said in a Tuesday (April 2) press release.“We are witnessing important innovations in medically supervised weight loss,” David Goldhill, co-founder and CEO of Sesame, said in the release. “Sesame’s unique model allows us not only to make high-quality specialty care like weight loss much more accessible and affordable, but also to empower clinicians to create plans that are specific to — and appropriate for — each individual patient.”Sesame’s marketplace provides a direct connection between patients and physicians, in which they meet either virtually or in person, according to the release. The company said this direct connection allows it to offer doctor visits, labs, imaging and prescription drugs at half the typical price.The company partnered with Costco in September 2023 to offer the retailer’s members exclusive, low pricing on virtual primary care, health checkups, virtual mental health therapy and other core healthcare services, the release said.With the expansion of this partnership, Costco members can also access a weight loss program in the Sesame marketplace for $179, per the release. The program includes an initial live video consultation with the clinician of the member’s choice, three months of clinical consultation, a nutritional guide and recommendations, and guidance to an appropriate treatment program.When clinically appropriate, the clinician may add medications to appropriate diet, exercise and lifestyle modifications, the release said.Sesame’s online marketplace provides an option in which healthcare services are paid for directly by the patient and charged directly by the doctor, Goldhill told PYMNTS’ Karen Webster in an interview posted in November 2022.“Unlike the insurance market, doctors are free to compete on price and on the packaging of care and definitions of what they provide,” Goldhill said.Another retailer looking to grow its healthcare offerings is Walmart. That company’s healthcare reach has expanded through its physical Walmart Health centers, which plans to double its network size by the end of 2024.Amazon, too, is adding healthcare services. For example, the company launched a program in January that helps individuals discover and enroll in virtual care benefits that are available to them through their employer or health plan at no extra cost

Costco and its low-cost health care partner Sesame have launched a weight loss program that includes prescriptions for medications like Ozempic, when appropriate.