Normally, you wouldn't expect big perks from a budget phone carrier. However, Boost is trying to shake things up by offering free advice from a doctor to anyone who signs up for one of its unlimited data plans.

By doing so, Boost says it will become a wireless carrier that offers free health care services to its subscribers. While this may be an expansive definition of health care, it is true that anyone who signs up for Boost's Unlimited Plus plan will be able to chat with a doctor, research symptoms, and seek treatment, including prescriptions, using the K Health app on their phone. According to Boost, these services will be available to both subscribers and their immediate family members.

Announcing this new benefit today (May 4), Boost notes that three out of ten people lost their health insurance last year, and about half of them remain uninsured today. The idea of a wireless provider providing medical services on behalf of the government seems somehow dystopian, but at least as a perk, the ability to get advice from a doctor is better than free cloud storage or a free streaming service subscription That's for sure.

Unlimited Plus is $60/month with Boost and unlimited calls, texts, and data. In addition to the benefit of new health advice from K Health, the Unlimited Plus plan also includes 30GB of mobile hotspot data. Unlimited Plus plans include the ability to add additional lines for $40 per line per month.

The Unlimited Plus plan has built-in health benefits, but is also available to other Boost customers for an additional fee. is usually $9 per month.

The addition of health services to Unlimited Plus plans is the latest effort by Boost to establish itself as one of the Big Three wireless carriers of choice. Once a subsidiary of Sprint, Boost was spun off as a separate company, now owned by Dish, as a condition of the T-Mobile/Sprint merger last year.Boost currently uses T-Mobile's network to offer its services, but eventually will launch its own network. Boost currently uses T-Mobile's network to provide service, but will eventually launch its own network to establish itself as a viable alternative to more established wireless providers.