DISCUSSION
Amazon Care reaches across the country
Written by George Anderson
Amazon.com has launched its Amazon Care telehealth service nationwide and is opening physical clinics to more than 20 cities this year.
The service was first tested in 2019 for Amazon employees in Seattle before being rolled out to all the company’s workers in 2020 as well as those employed by other businesses. Amazon Care includes Hilton, Precor, Silicon Labs, TrueBlue, and Whole Foods Market among its corporate customers.
Employers using the Amazon Care system have given it a 4.7 out five stars rating. Key benefits are its comprehensive suite of services, on-demand access to clinicians and a seamless patient experience.
Amazon believes that its combination of telehealth and in-person services is the best of all medical worlds with its focus on delivering high quality care in a cost-effective manner. Members receive immediate access to primary and urgent care services through the Amazon Care app. Services include testing for COVID-19 and the flu, vaccinations, preventative care, sexual health, treatment of illnesses and injuries as well as prescription requests and refills. A nurse practitioner will go to a patient’s home in cases where a patient’s health issue can not be addressed by video.
Demand for Amazon Care’s telehealth services has grown, according to the company, as a result of the pandemic, which is also creating demand for in-person services. The company now operates clinics in Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington D.C. and Arlington, VA. Amazon plans to add clinics in Chicago, Miami, New York City and San Francisco this year as part of its planned 20+ city expansion.
“Patients are tired of a health care system that doesn't put them first. Our patient-centric service is changing that, one visit at a time,” Kristen Helton, director of Amazon Care, said in a statement. “We’ve brought our on-demand urgent and primary care services to patients nationwide. As we grow the service, we’ll continue to work with our customers to address their needs."
Amazon Care grew out of a healthcare project announced in 2018 with Berkshire Hathaway and J.P. Morgan Chase known as Haven. That initiative, which was later abandoned for the companies to work on individually, was focused on lowering the costs associated with healthcare without cutting service corners.
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