❯ Online healthcare store General Medicine raises a $120 million Series B to put prescriptions, tests and visits on one shelf

a16z leads $120 millionUS online healthcare platform General Medicine announced a $120 million Series B on October 6, led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) with participation from Matrix, VXI Capital, Eli Lilly, Mercy Health and BoxGroup. According to Digital Health News, including a $32 million round a year earlier the company has raised $152 million in total.

Buying healthcare like shopping onlineGeneral Medicine runs an online healthcare store where users can search, compare and buy care. It currently lists more than 2,900 products and services covering prescriptions, lab tests, telehealth and some in-person visits and procedures. The platform shows insurance and cash prices side by side, so users know the cost before ordering. The company was founded by the team behind online pharmacy PillPack, and co-founder TJ Parker is CEO. The report did not say how it charges.

AI at the front desk, clinicians in chargeUsers can shop directly, consult a clinician or describe what they need through an AI chat interface; when clinical review is required, a licensed clinician determines the appropriate care. The platform gathers an average of 11 years of health history per customer and gives clinicians a prioritized summary. The company says it has hundreds of thousands of customers across all 50 US states, and that 83% of users said the platform helped them address a healthcare need they had been putting off.

A drugmaker and a health system also investThe new money will go toward adding categories, including imaging and more outpatient procedures. The two strategic investors each have their own interest: Eli Lilly in direct-to-consumer channels, and Mercy Health in potentially connecting digital services with in-person care. The change patients notice is seeing the price before deciding, instead of getting the bill after the test.

▮ SIGNALIn healthcare, AI is first changing the process steps of finding the right service, learning the price and booking; diagnosis itself is still decided by clinicians.