Amazon is expanding its repertoire of services to include a virtual health clinic which is now available to customers in all 50 states starting on Tuesday. Customers will have access to clinicians 24 hours a day through both Amazon.com and the Amazon mobile app.
The company introduced Amazon Clinic in November 2022 to treat relatively minor health problems like urinary tract infections, pink eye, and erectile dysfunction, Amazon said in a news release. Amazon’s health clinic is also introducing message-based consultations with the caveat that it’s still only available in 34 states.
But unlike major doctor’s offices, Amazon Clinic doesn’t accept health insurance, although it says patients will receive a discounted upfront cost of roughly $35 for message consultations and $75 for video visits. However, the company says any medication prescribed through Amazon Pharmacy or at any other pharmacy of their choice will still be covered by the patient’s insurance.
Amazon will not provide its own clinicians to speak and meet with patients but has partnered with Curai Health, Hello Alpha, SteadyMD, and Wheel to pair customers with a doctor.
Earlier this year, Amazon closed its $3.9 billion acquisition of OneMedical. CEO Andy Jassy has pushed hard for the company’s involvement in healthcare, telling CNBC in February, “Customers want and deserve better, and that’s what One Medical has been working and innovating on for more than a decade.” He continued, “Together, we believe we can make the healthcare experience easier, faster, more personal, and more convenient for everyone.”
Amazon also bought the online pharmacy PillPack for $750 million in 2018, and that same year it launched an incubator program alongside Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan, but it only lasted three years before it was shut down.
The increasingly common option to visit a doctor virtually is trying to bridge the disparity for those in rural and low-income areas who may not have direct access to a physician that meets their needs. Although virtual healthcare visits have dropped from 72%, the number has stabilized around 54%, according to a report by McKinsey & Company Healthcare.
The American Medical Association predicted in 2023 that virtual healthcare options will continue to evolve, becoming something that’s easier to use with all-in-one technology created by “joint ventures between technology and healthcare professionals.” It appears that Amazon is now taking advantage of these opportunities by doing just that. Whether Amazon Clinic will become a profitable venture or another flop, only time will tell.
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