Amazon Expands Healthcare Offerings With Virtual Care Message Service

Amazon pushed further into the healthcare market with Tuesday’s introduction of Amazon Clinic, a message-based virtual care service. Amazon Clinic, initially available in 32 states, connects customers with “affordable virtual care options when and how they need it” for over 20 common health conditions, it said, noting allergies, acne, urinary tract infections, erectile dysfunction, conjunctivitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, dandruff and hair loss, among others. Users can choose from a network of licensed telehealth providers who have gone through “rigorous clinical quality and customer experience evaluations" by an Amazon team. Customers select their condition, choose a provider and then connect directly via a secure message-based portal. After the consultation, the clinician will send a treatment plan via the portal, including any prescriptions, to the customer’s preferred pharmacy. The provider sets the cost of consultations, which include ongoing follow-up messages for up to two weeks after the initial chat. The service doesn’t accept insurance “yet,” Amazon said, though customers may use insurance to pay for medications at pharmacies, including Amazon Pharmacy, it said.