Seniors Wireless combines MVNO model with telemedicine app for seniors

Seniors Wireless, a subsidiary of mobile virtual network operator Emveno, today launched what it calls a “telemedicine MVNO” (mobile virtual network operator) service in the U.S.

The service, which is geared toward seniors, will cost a buck a day and provide “unlimited access to board-certified doctors 365/24/7 from their phones.”

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The service, called teleMED Assist, lets subscribers use any landline, mobile phone, or wireless service to either speak or videoconference directly with qualified medical practitioners. The doctors can evaluate, refer, and prescribe on the spot, Seniors Wireless says.

To access the service, seniors simply click the teleMED Assist button on the Seniors Wireless app, or call directly. An agent responds and connects the caller to a doctor within two minutes. Members can request assistance as many times as they like, and talk as long as long as they want.

The company walks the customer through the process of choosing the right voice and data component of the plan, offering small, medium, or large options. An “unlimited” option is $30 for unlimited calling, SMS, and 500MB of data per month. The smallest data plan allows 250MB of data at $5 per month. Prepay or pay-as-you-go plans all cost a flat rate of 10 cents per minute for voice calling, 10 cents per SMS, and 10 cents per megabyte of data.

The contract-free service will also include voice, text, and data paired with smartphones designed specifically for seniors. The phones include the iPhone 4, and the Samsung Galaxy S3, S4, and S5.

With over 100 million people aged 50-plus in the U.S., the market for telehealth services is expected to grow to 7 million in 2018, up from 350,000 in 2013.

The service is supposed to make it easier for seniors to connect with primary care doctors, which could prevent costlier services like emergency room visits.