Amazon Expands Healthcare Services to 20 New Cities

According to a Sept. 7 article in HealthExec by Amy Baxter, Amazon Care is expanding its healthcare services to 20 cities.

Baxter writes that “Amazon first introduced its healthcare clinics to its employees earlier this year after providing them with virtual care services. Its virtual care app, Amazon Care, lets people connect with physicians online through messages and video, with an option for an in-person visit from a nurse for exams, tests, and vaccines. The online retailer offered up its medical services to others outside the company this summer.”

Further, “Now, Amazon’s medical offering will expand beyond its current footprint of Washington state, Washington, DC, and Baltimore. The news was first reported by Insider. The telehealth and in-person services will soon be available in Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, and Dallas, people familiar with the matter told Insider.”

Currently, Amazon in 2022 will add 16 additional cities including Atlanta; Denver; Detroit; Houston; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Los Angeles; Miami; Minneapolis; Nashville, Tennessee; New York; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; San Francisco; San Jose, California; and St. Louis. Although, these locations are subject to change.

“In total, about 40,000 people are signed up for Amazon Care, with most being Amazon employees, according to Insider,” Baxter writes.

She concludes that “The expansion of Amazon Care comes after the company experienced a healthcare flop in Haven, a joint venture with Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase. Haven aimed to improve healthcare coverage for all employees of the three companies but failed to meaningfully affect the healthcare insurance market.”