Amazon launches virtual health clinic for employees
Amazon Care is the latest health care benefit employees at the Seattle headquarters can take advantage of
Amazon’s virtual health clinic, Amazon Care, is now available to the employees at the tech giant's Seattle headquarters, according to a report Tuesday from CNBC.
The virtual medical service is accessible through an app and allows Amazon corporate employees and their dependents to check in with medical professionals with health inquiries or concerns. Amazon Care users will also be able to have live consultations, schedule follow-up visits or house calls and get prescription deliveries.
Amazon Care provides virtual and in-person health services for Amazon employees. (Amazon)
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMZN | AMAZON.COM INC. | 172.22 | -4.37 | -2.47% |
FOX Business reached out to Amazon for comment about the new health benefit but did not immediately hear back at the time of publication.
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An Amazon spokesperson did tell CNBC that “Amazon Care eliminates travel and wait time, connecting employees and their family members to a physician or nurse practitioner through live chat or video, with the option for in-person follow up services from a registered nurse ranging from immunizations to instant strep throat detection.”
Amazon employees can get preventative or urgent care through Amazon Care. (Amazon)
It is not clear whether Amazon will expand the program beyond its Seattle headquarters in the near future.
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However, eligible employees can sign up for Amazon Care through their online benefits portal. Representatives are promoting the new program across Amazon’s Seattle campus to encourage employee signups, according to the report.
The medical professionals who are providing health care services through Amazon Care are employed by Oasis Medical Group – a third-party clinic that will not share employee health information with Amazon.
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Amazon employees can have a live video chat with Amazon Care providers. (Amazon)
Outside of Amazon Care, the company is working on other initiatives to lower health care costs. In 2018, Amazon acquired the online pharmacy PillPack for $735 million.
Amazon isn’t alone in its quest to provide telecare services for employees. Apple launched its own clinics and virtual system under AC Wellness in the summer of 2018, which provides care for its corporate employee at the Cupertino, California, headquarters.
