Amazon Expanding Healthcare Service Outside Its Home State

Walmart and Amazon are expanding major connected health initiatives, with Walmart trying to bring more customers into stores through its COVID-19 vaccine program (2103170065) and Amazon expanding Amazon Care, a healthcare service with telehealth and in-person components. Amazon Care launched in Washington state 18 months ago for company employees and their families and made it available last week to other Washington-based companies. Amazon plans to launch the telehealth service across the U.S. this summer to give “millions” of Americans access to “high-quality medical care” and advice 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it said. Amazon will expand its virtual care to companies and Amazon employees in all 50 states this summer, while the in-person service expands to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, “and other cities” in coming months. Walmart is making COVID-19 vaccination records of vaccines given through its pharmacies available to customers digitally using the open, interoperable Smart Health Cards standard being developed under the Vaccination Credential Initiative.