Haute Philanthropist: Rick Ross — How I’m Giving Back

Photo Credit: JetDoc

Rick Ross is putting his money where his mouth is. The rapper and entrepreneur is backing Jetdoc, a telehealth and virtual urgent care app dedicated to connecting users with medical professionals in an effective way. Jetdoc, which is currently available on Google Play and App Store, uses a personalized and interactive interface enabling patients to securely connect with licensed medical professionals from the comfort of their own homes in just minutes.

Recently, Ross and Jetdoc’s founder and CEO Tommy Duncan just announced that the service is available in Georgia, providing immediate and affordable virtual healthcare to millions in the state in under five minute for just $20. As part of their expansion into Georgia, Ross and Duncan are spending $1M to offer one free doctor visit for EVERY Georgian through the service. No credit card required or strings attached.

We sat down with our former cover star and his business partner to discuss the rhyme and reason behind their philanthropic mission.

Photo Credit: JetDoc

What inspired you to create Jetdoc?

Tommy Duncan: There were two key moments that drove me to create Jetdoc. [The] first thing that brought me here was when I had a stroke at 30 years old and saw firsthand how hard it was to navigate the healthcare system when you really need it. I was and still am a pretty healthy person — I come from a family who ran hospitals! The second was just where timing met intention. The pandemic started just after I sold my first company, a B2B healthcare insurance business. Jetdoc had been in my head for years and I knew I wanted my next company to address how we, specifically minorities, interact with the healthcare system – since we see the almost daily research on how we’re disproportionately without coverage or proper care. So when I realized how the pandemic was hitting our communities so hard, I expedited developing Jetdoc. I really want people to embrace health and make it part of their lifestyle. So that’s what Jetdoc is all about. Breaking the barriers down and making access to doctors easy, convenient and affordable.

Rick Ross: Like [what inspired] Tommy, [for me] it was personal. After my health scares and seeing friends pass away at a young age from preventable issues – I wanted to see how I can get involved in helping my people. So when I first met Tommy and he started to tell me about Jetdoc and his vision for the future of it, it was right in line with how I wanted to get involved.

How did you come on board, Rick? What brought this to your attention?

RR: We met through our mutual friend, Kasim Reed, former Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. Tommy has known Kasim for years and Kasim mentioned to me he had a friend working on something I might be interested in. He set up the meeting and the rest was history!

You invested $1 million of your own money in this. Why is this so personally important to you?

RR: It’s really about investing in my people. Trying to arm them with what they need to live healthy and happy lives. When we grew up, we didn’t have a lot of resources. When our parents grew up, they didn’t have the means to give us preventative healthcare, either. In my household, you were either “fine, sick or injured.” The first two, you better get up and go to school or work. Fight through it. If you were injured, that’s when we’d go to the doctor. And that’s no fault to them. Between costs and access – seeing a doctor often wasn’t realistic. So we want to invest in helping our folks have that access – and have the power to give that access to others.

Photo Credit: JetDoc

Have you ever been in need of a doctor and thought, ‘I can’t get access to healthcare’?

RR: Before I began my rap career, yes. Seeing the doctor was the last resort. And that’s most people I grew up with. From the street hustlers to the teachers. Seeing a doctor or going to a hospital was the last resort. Because going to the hospital meant time off work and most of us couldn’t afford to take time off work.

Telehealth is becoming bigger and bigger. What sets you apart from the other telehealth apps?

TD: Jetdoc sets itself apart in a few ways – but most importantly in convenience and cost. It’s just $10 a month to see a doctor as many times as you want. Same price of your Spotify subscription or Hulu, etc. That’s unheard of. Or see a doctor just one time for $20 a visit, no commitment required. And you’ll see them in minutes, not days or weeks. After your visit, you’ll receive a discount prescription card, too, up to 85% off! You’re saving all the way around.

RR: One of the things I’m excited about with Jetdoc is the ability to gift someone a doctor visit. We all know someone who is sick and might refuse to go see a doctor about it. With Jetdoc, you can gift someone a doctor visit for just $20. We really want people to incorporate healthcare into their everyday routine like we send people ubers or food.

Do people need insurance to use Jetdoc?

RR: No! No insurance is required to use Jetdoc. And if you DO have insurance, Jetdoc is a great compliment – and works along most major healthcare insurance providers.

Photo Credit: JetDoc

What about prescriptions? How does that work?

TD: When you sign up, you receive a Jetdoc prescription card. We’ve worked directly with our networks to bring prescription costs down – up to 85% off. We’ve seen that we’re not just competitive, we’re often beating most insurance companies on prescription costs. So after your visit, if your doctor has a prescription for you, it’s sent to your pharmacy of choice. You can use it at Walgreens, CVS, or almost any pharmacy in the country.

What’s next for Jetdoc?

RR: Our most immediate goal is to make sure we service our people in Georgia as we just launched there. And next is more states. We’re rolling out state by state to ensure we have enough medical professionals to cover everyone and we can deliver on our promise to make sure they can see a doctor in just minutes.

What’s next for you professionally otherwise, Rick?

RR: More music, for sure. I’m recording now and hope to have some dates soon. Now that we’re starting to open the country back up, I’m looking forward to doing shows and touring again, too. Also, of course my involvement with Bel-Aire Rose, Wingstop, Checkers, etc. Just making sure I’m feeding the streets, either in their ear with the music, their stomach with the food (Lemon Pepper, baby!) or with their hearts with Jetdoc. Just leaving a legacy.

Why is Jetdoc a luxury? What are some other luxuries you can’t live without?

RR: Health is most definitely a luxury. And if you can have a doctor on standby for whatever you need? That’s LUXURY! And that’s what we want to give to everyone with Jetdoc. But for me, personally? I came from the bottom, so I lived most of my life without the basics. There aren’t many things I can’t live without. But one things I LOVE? My cars. My old schools! I’m a car guy.

Photo Credit: JetDoc