Amazon is expanding its foray into healthcare delivery by introducing video telemedicine appointments in all 50 states to a virtual clinic it started last autumn.
On Tuesday, Amazon announced that users of its website and mobile app could use its virtual clinic whenever they wanted.
There, they can evaluate several telemedicine providers and compare their costs and turnaround times.
The clinic opened last fall with a concentration on text-based consultations and doesn’t accept insurance. 34 states continue to have access to those.
According to Amazon, the facility provides treatment for more than 30 common medical ailments.
When COVID-19 struck a few years ago, virtual care, also known as telemedicine, exploded in popularity.
It has remained well-liked as a practical way to see a doctor or handle relatively simple medical conditions like pink eye or urinary tract infections. Amazon adds that erectile dysfunction will also be treated in its virtual clinics. In a blog post, the clinic’s chief medical officer, Dr. Nworah Ayogu, stated that the clinic’s goal is to break down barriers so that individuals may treat “everyday health concerns.”
As a physician, I have personally observed that patients want to be healthy but are unable to successfully manage their care due to a lack of time, resources, or other factors.
According to Amazon, video sessions cost $75, while messaging-based consultations cost an average of $35. That is less expensive than the price of frequent in-person doctor appointments, which can cost more than $100 for those without insurance or whose coverage has a high deductible.
Through its Amazon Pharmacy division, Amazon sells prescription medications in addition to providing virtual care.
It also completed the $3.9 billion acquisition of One Medical, a membership-based primary care provider with around 815,000 clients and 214 clinics in more than 20 regions, earlier this year.
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