Source: What is Amazon Clinic: A virtual health service for common conditions (aboutamazon.com)
Following its agreement to purchase One Medical, Amazon is extending its healthcare services;
this time, it has opened a new virtual care option to assist with common illnesses including
allergies, acne, and hair loss. With the launch of the Amazon Clinic on Tuesday, customers in 32
states will be able to message doctors to request individualized care and medicines for common
conditions.
Edge of Amazon Clinic over its competitors
Similar to how most telemedicine services operate, Amazon Clinic service does not currently
accept insurance, consumers can utilise insurance to help pay for prescriptions given by a
licenced physician through the platform. However, the company stated that any pharmacy
could fill the prescriptions, and also mentioned that Amazon Pharmacy was a possibility. The
price of the initial consultation, which Amazon claimed in many circumstances would be
comparable to or less than the price of the typical copay, includes two weeks’ worth of
follow-up messaging. Additionally, customers have the option of paying for the service with
funds through flexible spending accounts and healthcare spending accounts.
The launch of the new programme follows Amazon’s announcement a few months ago that it
would be discontinuing Amazon Care, a different telehealth service, by the end of the year. The
service, which debuted in 2019 as a pilot for employees, featured in-home visits from nurses for
testing and immunizations in addition to virtual urgent care. The business stated in its Amazon
Clinic announcement that it adheres to all applicable laws and regulations, has strict consumer
privacy practises and complies with HIPAA.
We’ll have to wait and see if Amazon Clinic is a sufficient solution, but greater accessibility to
treatments for common illnesses, particularly on the scale that Amazon is able to offer, could
be advantageous to a sizable population.
