Boost Mobile's Unlimited Plus plan throws in free virtual doctor visits

When most wireless carriers try to attract new customers to their business, they usually turn to promotions like discounted rate plans to get the job done. Dish's Boost Mobile is taking a different tack by instead promising to connect new subscribers to K Health. Among other perks, the online service allows you to chat with a doctor. Using an AI component, it can also suggest next steps when you're showing specific symptoms.

Boost's Unlimited Plus plan will come with free access to K Health's primary care subscription, which typically costs $9 per month, starting this summer. Those on one of the carrier's other plans will have the option to add the service for $8 per month, or one dollar less than you would pay for it usually.

Boost's Unlimited Plus plan costs $60 per month and comes with 35GB of "unlimited" LTE data. After going over your monthly allotment, the company throttles your data connection to 2G speeds until the end of the month. It also includes unlimited talk and text, as well as 30GB of mobile hotspot data. Additional lines cost $40 per line each month.

Adding a telehealth component to a data plan is certainly one way for a carrier to stand out in a crowded market, but it's one that makes a lot of sense for Boost — even if it's a sorry reflection of the state of healthcare in the US. Many of Boost's subscribers are low-income earners who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and rising healthcare costs more generally.