Health Services, Health Tech

Report: Amazon gearing up for expansion of healthcare service

After piloting its primary care and urgent care service, Amazon Care, the tech giant started opening it to other companies in Washington. Now, Amazon is looking to expand the service to 20 other metros, according to Insider.

After testing the waters with its primary care service, Amazon began offering it earlier this year to other companies in Washington state.

Now, the company is planning to expand to 20 additional metros this year and in 2022, according to Insider.

Called Amazon Care, the tech giant’s foray into healthcare consists of an app with virtual visits and the ability to chat with a registered nurse. If a clinician recommends an in-person visit, a mobile care nurse can be dispatched to that person’s home to collect lab samples, administer vaccines, and test for strep and other common conditions.

The service also taps into Amazon’s capability to deliver medications to people’s homes, which it rolled out earlier this year.

The telehealth service is available in a handful of states, including Washington state, California, Virginia, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Maryland and Washington D.C. But access to in-person services is more limited, currently in Washington state, Washington D.C., and Baltimore.

This year, Amazon plans to expand its in-person services to Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas and Boston, Insider’s Blake Dodge reported, citing anonymous sources. Next year, Amazon Care will expand to 16 additional metros.

When asked to verify its plans, an Amazon spokesperson stated, “We don’t comment on rumors or speculation.”

Amazon initially piloted the service for a year with its employees, before opening it to other companies to offer their employees as a covered benefit. One of its first customers included Peloton subsidiary Precor.

By early summer, 40,000 people were enrolled in Amazon Care, though most of them consisted of Amazon employees, according to Insider.

Amazon has also reportedly approached insurers to seek broader coverage of its healthcare services. So far, it doesn’t seem like much has changed. According to Amazon Care’s website, care provided by its medical group, called Care Medical, will not be billed to patients’ health plans or count toward their deductible.

Photo credit: Flickr, Cerillion Skyline

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