Amazon Makes Renewed Bid for Place in Telehealth Space

November 15, 2022 by Dan McCue
Amazon Makes Renewed Bid for Place in Telehealth Space
(National Cancer Institute photo)

SEATTLE — A little more than three months after announcing it was shutting down its telehealth venture Amazon Care, Amazon is poised to make a comeback in the digital health space.

The new venture is called Amazon Clinic, and according to a blog post on Amazon’s corporate website, it will soon be launching in 32 states and will provide virtual care for more than 20 common health conditions, such as allergies, acne and hair loss.

Amazon began its voyage into the health care space with Amazon Pharmacy, which it launched in November 2020, enabling customers to get their medication delivered directly to their door.

Last July, the multinational tech and e-commerce company announced it had reached an agreement to acquire One Medical, which it described in a press release at the time as “a human-centered and technology-powered provider of primary care.” 

With an estimated value of $3.9 billion, once the deal closes Amazon will presumably incorporate many if not all of One Medical’s member benefits into its health care offering.

Those benefits include a “dedicated relationship with their provider, a friendly and convenient in-office experience, and ongoing engagement via a dedicated app,” the Amazon press release said.

In the meantime, Amazon Clinic will fill a distinctly different space. Essentially a message-based virtual care service, it will connect customers with affordable virtual care options when and where they need it.

“Our new health care store lets customers choose from a network of leading telehealth providers based on their preferences,” the blog post says. “Every telehealth provider on Amazon Clinic has gone through rigorous clinical quality and customer experience evaluations by Amazon’s clinical leadership team.”

According to Amazon, its new virtual clinic will be simple and easy to use. 

“To get started, customers select their condition, then choose their preferred provider from a list of licensed and qualified telehealth providers,” the blog post says. “Next, they complete a short intake questionnaire. 

“Customers and clinicians then directly connect through a secure message-based portal, giving customers the flexibility to message their clinician when it’s most convenient for them — anytime, anywhere. 

“After the message-based consultation, the clinician will send a personalized treatment plan via the portal, including any necessary prescriptions to the customer’s preferred pharmacy,” the post says.

For customers, the cost of consultations will vary by provider and includes ongoing follow-up messages with their clinician for up to two weeks after the initial consultation. Amazon Clinic does not yet accept insurance.

Similar to a traditional doctor’s visit, the cost of any medication prescribed is not included in the cost of the visit, but customers may use their insurance to pay for medications.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and at https://twitter.com/DanMcCue

A+
a-
  • Amazon
  • telehealth
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Health

    Kennedy Picks for CDC Panel Proudly Boast Vaccine Skepticism

    WASHINGTON — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has chosen eight new members for the panel of experts that advises... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has chosen eight new members for the panel of experts that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine policy, including a number of well-known vaccine skeptics. The panel, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices,... Read More

    Keep HSAs in the One Big, Beautiful Bill

    Last month, House Republicans narrowly passed a comprehensive budget bill by a single vote, legislation that included some of the most significant... Read More

    Last month, House Republicans narrowly passed a comprehensive budget bill by a single vote, legislation that included some of the most significant changes to our health care system in over a decade. The Senate has promised to amend this "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act." One thing they shouldn’t... Read More

    Arizona Officials Confirm Measles Outbreak in Navajo County

    Health officials in Arizona say there are four linked measles cases in Navajo County, marking the state's first outbreak this... Read More

    Health officials in Arizona say there are four linked measles cases in Navajo County, marking the state's first outbreak this year. The U.S. logged 122 more cases of measles last week — but only four of them in Texas — while the outbreaks in Pennsylvania and Michigan officially... Read More

    June 10, 2025
    by Dan McCue
    New York Lawmakers Pass Medical Aid in Dying Bill

    ALBANY — The New York State Senate approved a bill on Monday that would allow people facing terminal diagnoses to... Read More

    ALBANY — The New York State Senate approved a bill on Monday that would allow people facing terminal diagnoses to end their lives on their own terms, which the bill’s proponents say would grant a measure of autonomy to New Yorkers in their final days. The... Read More

    ‘Snack’ Your Way to Health!

    WASHINGTON — It has been well-reported that we’re supposed to get around 150 minutes of cardio exercise each week. But... Read More

    WASHINGTON — It has been well-reported that we’re supposed to get around 150 minutes of cardio exercise each week. But what if that number, while still useful, wasn’t the only way to boost your health? What if something as small as a 20-second stair sprint could... Read More

    ‘Most Favored Nation’ Drug Pricing Wouldn't Actually Save Medicaid Money

    Congressional Republicans recently advanced a sweeping budget bill that exceeds their initial savings goal, aiming to reduce federal spending by... Read More

    Congressional Republicans recently advanced a sweeping budget bill that exceeds their initial savings goal, aiming to reduce federal spending by nearly $1 trillion. A large share of those reductions would come from changes to Medicaid, including new work requirements, copay adjustments and stricter eligibility checks. During... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top