RUSH Bets on Membership-Based Virtual Care to Redefine Digital Access

Rush University System for Health has entered the crowded digital health market with Rush Connect+, a nationwide telehealth membership program priced at $19 per month or $189 annually. The move is both a bold consumer play and a strategic expansion of Rush’s virtual care infrastructure, one that combines concierge-style navigation with system-integrated clinical services.

Unlike many direct-to-consumer telehealth apps operating in isolation from traditional health systems, Rush Connect+ embeds national-scale access into an academic medical institution’s care ecosystem. This distinction could prove meaningful as patients, employers, and payers alike search for digital solutions that don’t sacrifice care continuity, clinical integration, or quality assurance.

Moving Beyond Transactional Telehealth

The virtual care landscape is already saturated with one-off urgent care platforms, many of which offer rapid access but little continuity. Rush’s model moves in a different direction, toward digital membership as a longitudinal relationship. The inclusion of a live human assistant to curate appointments, answer care navigation questions, and triage concerns seven days a week differentiates Rush Connect+ from the AI-only front ends typical in retail telehealth offerings.

This blend of convenience and human support aligns with recent findings from a 2025 KFF report showing that 61% of patients prefer a hybrid model for digital care access, particularly when navigating specialty referrals or complex diagnoses. Rush appears to be betting that human interaction, paired with digital access, will be a differentiator in the next wave of telehealth evolution.

The membership model also mirrors broader industry trends. Amazon Clinic, One Medical, and CVS Health have all introduced subscription-style digital services. But unlike those entrants, Rush has anchored its offer in an academic health system with a clinical depth that spans from primary care to quaternary services. That institutional integration could offer both clinical credibility and consumer trust.

A Platform, Not Just a Product

Rush Connect+ is an extension of the broader Rush Connect ecosystem, which already includes virtual urgent and primary care, AI-powered triage, and digital appointment scheduling. What sets Connect+ apart is its positioning as a platform—not a product. It offers seamless entry points into Rush’s broader specialty network, with same-day or next-day access in eight clinical areas, including cardiology, dermatology, sexual health, and weight management.

This type of rapid specialty access remains rare in traditional healthcare, where wait times for new specialty appointments still average 26 days in metropolitan areas, according to Merritt Hawkins’ 2024 Physician Appointment Wait Time Survey. By addressing this gap, Rush is targeting a major pain point in access and positioning itself as a solution for patients who want expedited care without sacrificing quality.

Importantly, Rush Connect+ appears to straddle both individual and enterprise markets. While publicly marketed as a $19/month membership for consumers, its infrastructure could readily support payer partnerships, employer wraparounds, or integration into value-based contracts, especially if outcomes data demonstrates improved adherence, reduced ED utilization, or faster condition resolution.

Consumer Digital Front Doors That Actually Open

At the user interface level, Rush’s digital strategy is similarly ambitious. A redesigned appointment scheduling page, a new “My Rush” app with embedded MyChart functionality, and an AI-powered chatbot and symptom checker suggest that the system is investing heavily in creating a true digital front door.

The combination of convenience and integration is what many health systems have long aspired to, but few have executed with coherence. As Fierce Healthcare noted earlier this year, many large systems still rely on fragmented tech stacks that confuse users or duplicate functionality. Rush’s vertically integrated model attempts to unify these elements in a consumer-centric experience that’s navigable, responsive, and clinically anchored.

That effort is particularly important in virtual care, where patient drop-off rates are high and platform usability is directly tied to retention. The inclusion of a live concierge, rather than relying solely on chatbots, signals that Rush recognizes the friction points that lead many patients to abandon digital care attempts before completing a visit.

The Quiet Expansion of Academic Health Systems into National Markets

Rush’s launch of a nationwide virtual service reflects a growing trend among academic medical centers to compete beyond their physical catchment areas. Cleveland Clinic, Mount Sinai, and Stanford Medicine have each rolled out virtual second opinion services and remote specialty consults, but Rush Connect+ takes this one step further: creating an always-on, digitally native relationship available across state lines.

This model holds strategic potential for system expansion without new brick-and-mortar investments. If successful, it could allow regional providers to build brand equity, attract new patients, and generate revenue from outside their traditional referral networks. It also opens the door to future risk-based contracts in markets where Rush has no physical presence—but can demonstrate outcomes via virtual care.

What remains to be seen is how state licensure and reimbursement models evolve to accommodate this growing wave of cross-border virtual care. Regulatory flexibility granted during the COVID-19 public health emergency has largely expired, but many states have retained telehealth parity laws or compact agreements that make multistate operation feasible, though administratively complex.

Redefining the Membership Value Proposition

The value of a $19 monthly telehealth membership will ultimately rest on more than access. It will also depend on whether Rush Connect+ can offer continuity, coordination, and clinical quality. If it succeeds, it could represent a new blueprint for health systems seeking to compete not just on price or convenience, but on a full-spectrum care experience that blends digital agility with institutional trust.

For health system leaders watching from the sidelines, the message is clear: the future of digital care will not be won by software vendors alone. It will be shaped by the systems that can translate clinical depth into digital fluency—and deliver that value in a format consumers are willing to pay for.