The e-commerce giant launched Amazon Care as a pilot telemedicine service for its employees and their dependents in Washington State in the fall of 2019. Its goal is to provide employees an easy way to access high-quality primary health care online. Amazon Care also provides at-home visits in certain areas.
In September this year, Amazon Care expanded from the e-commerce giant’s headquarters in Seattle to all of its offices across the state.
Telemedicine is a significant growth opportunity for Amazon
The telemedicine market is expected to be worth more than $17 billion by 2026, thus it represents a significant growth opportunity for Amazon. The COVID-19 pandemic help accelerate the shift to telemedicine as more people decided to consult with their doctors online. The federal government relaxed requirements for telemedicine, allowing more health care providers to accept Medicare payments for online consultations with their patients.
Over the past few years, Amazon is increasingly expanding into the health care industry. In 2018, the e-commerce giant acquired PillPack, a full-service online pharmacy that packages and delivers medications to patients. In August, it launched Halo, a wristband equipped with health and fitness tracking technology.
