Amazon Clinic Expands Its Telehealth Service to All 50 States and the Capital

Starting August 1st, Amazon Clinic is available to customers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C, the company announced, and people can access convenient, affordable, and trusted care from the comfort of home.

Everything from baby food to healthcare

Established in 1994 by Jeff Bezos, Amazon has grown from a little-known online bookstore to become the world’s largest e-retailer, now selling everything from diapers and baby food to healthcare and home cleaning services.

More recently, Amazon has made major incursions into the heart of the American healthcare industry, disrupting the world of the drug prescription and healthcare supply chain. The online pharmacy sector is a huge market worth billions of dollars, and Amazon wants a piece of the pie, especially because the US healthcare system is riddled with inefficiencies, so the company’s focus on customer service and efficiency would come in handy to really promote change and take a hefty part of the profit. 

Back in 2019, the company acquired Health Navigator, a startup that creates APIs for online health services. Health Navigator is designated to become part of Amazon Care, its pilot health care service program for employees, which serves as a medical benefit providing employee health care. The same year, the company has created a HIPAA compliant software that allows developers to build Alexa skills that make it possible for users to employ the voice assistant to transmit and receive protected health information as part of an invite-only program.

Expanding its telehealth division to big cities 

In 2022, Amazon’s telehealth business division, Amazon Care, expanded its virtual and in-person care system in 20 new cities, Chicago being one of them, next to Miami, San Francisco and New York.  

Last November, the online retail giant unveiled Amazon Clinic as a virtual medical clinic to provide care for 35 common health concerns like urinary tract infection, pink eye, and acid reflux. Launched as a message-based virtual consultation service, Amazon Clinic connects consumers with licensed clinicians who can diagnose, treat and prescribe medication for more than 30 common health and lifestyle conditions, from urinary tract infections and pink eye to erectile dysfunction. 

According to a blog post, customers love the convenience of Amazon Clinic, giving it a 96% customer satisfaction rating, and they often reach out to the company to share their experiences, which are more than encouraging.

“I woke up with pink eye and had prescription eye drops called in to my pharmacy within 15 minutes. I had the eye drops in hand two hours after I woke up.” —Shannon R.

“Amazon Clinic was incredibly easy and convenient to get my thyroid medication refilled. No hidden fees, no in-person visit. For someone without health insurance, the cost was the absolute best part.” —Catherine M.

Easy access to licensed clinicians for virtual care

August 1st, Amazon announced that Amazon Clinic is now available to customers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., offering more people easy access to licensed clinicians for virtual care.

In addition to message-based consultations in 34 states, Amazon Clinic now supports video visits nationwide, offering patients 24/7 access to clinicians directly through Amazon.com and the Amazon mobile app.

The idea, the company says, is to make it dramatically easier for people to get and stay healthy, and what way is easier to do that then by helping customers get the care and medications they need in the way that is most convenient for them.

“As a doctor, I’ve seen firsthand that patients want to be healthy but lack the time, tools, or resources to effectively manage their care”, dr. Nworah Ayogu, Chief Medical Officer and General Manager of Amazon Clinic, said. 

Amazon provides multiple health services to give people the choice, convenience, and continuity of care they really need when it comes to treating their health issues.

Amazon Clinic removes barriers by helping customers treat their everyday health concerns wherever they are, at any time of day. And, more importantly, the Chief Medical Officer explains, they can see the cost before they start the visit.

Treatment for various common conditions, just an app away

To get treatment, customers simply visit Amazon Clinic on the Amazon website or Amazon mobile app. There, they can compare response times and prices from multiple telehealth provider groups, complete an intake form, and connect with their chosen provider.

Depending on the state in which they are located, customers can connect via messaging or video call—all without an appointment or insurance. Through Amazon Clinic’s secure message portal or video call, the clinician will provide a recommended treatment plan, which may include a prescription.

Customers have the flexibility of filling their medication at Amazon Pharmacy with free shipping or at any other pharmacy of their choice.

By creating a healthcare experience that is transparent and simple, Amazon hopes to make healthcare more accessible for all. The company is really excited to bring Amazon Clinic to even more patients, and they are working hard to make even more conditions available for treatment in the coming months.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, Earth’s best employer, and Earth’s safest place to work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon.