The digital retail giant Amazon announced Tuesday that it is expanding its virtual health service to all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Amazon Clinic was launched last November to connect users with a clinician to discuss health issues ranging from sinus infections to pink eye over video or text messaging.
While Amazon Clinic doesn’t function as a telemedicine service provider, it is a facilitator that connects patients to partner telemedicine services such as Wheel, Curai Health, SteadyMD, and Hello Alpha.
Each provider’s quality and internal operations are vetted by the company before appearing on the platform, Nworah Ayogu, Amazon Clinic’s chief medical officer and general manager, told CNBC.
To use the service, users must first select the medical condition they are seeking treatment for. Next, they choose a healthcare provider from a list and complete a short questionnaire. Finally, they are connected with an available medical professional.
With its expansion nationwide, Americans can now address health concerns with licensed professionals no matter their geographical location or insurance status 24/7, according to Amazon’s August 1 news release.
Marketed as having been “designed to make healthcare accessible and easy,” Amazon Clinic has been touted by users for its simplicity and speed.
“Amazon Clinic was incredibly easy and convenient to get my thyroid medication refilled. No hidden fees, no in-person visit. For someone without health insurance, the cost was the absolute best part,” said Catherine M., according to the news release.
The customer satisfaction rating stands at 96%.
Amazon Clinic doesn’t accept insurance, but Amazon’s online pharmacy does. However, prescriptions can be sent to any pharmacy, according to the company.
Telehealth services have received criticism for prescribing medication without oversight, as previously covered in The Dallas Express. This has been especially true of new weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic, which have been in high demand since showing promising results in treating obesity — an ongoing crisis both nationally and globally.
Yet platforms like Amazon Clinic or Mazzy Health — a provider of telehealth therapy services that just began operations in Texas — claim they supply high-quality care from accredited professionals in a timely manner.
Amazon Clinic is also not Amazon’s first foray into the healthcare industry.
For instance, in 2019, it launched another telehealth service called Amazon Care.
Amazon Care was initially only for employees but was later expanded nationwide. The service even began to offer in-home visits last year before closing down, as The Dallas Express reported.
The reason given by Neil Lindsay, head of Amazon’s Health Services, was that it wasn’t “the right long-term solution for our enterprise customers,” according to CNBC.
