Amazon Expands Healthcare Push With One Medical Benefits For Prime Members (ft.com) 55
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Financial Times: Amazon Prime members will be able to access US healthcare provider One Medical's suite of benefits, for a fee, as the ecommerce company looks to expand its presence in the $4 trillion American healthcare industry. Prime members in the US who opt in will have access to unlimited, on-demand virtual healthcare via One Medical, the subscription-based group that Amazon acquired last year for $3.9 billion. They will also be able to schedule in-person appointments that they will either pay for themselves or that will be covered by insurance.
The addition to Amazon's flagship Prime membership program comes as the company looks to "stack" healthcare services together and broaden its reach in the sector, which would be "big for us if we do a good job," said Neil Lindsay, senior vice-president of Amazon Health. The subscription will cost Amazon Prime members $9 per month or $99 per year, compared with the standard One Medical subscription fee of $199 per year. That will come on top of the $139 per year, or $14.99 a month, price for a Prime subscription.
The move is Amazon's latest effort to leverage its loyal base of Prime members and become a big player in the healthcare industry. In January, following its 2018 acquisition of mail-order pharmacy PillPack for about $1 billion, Amazon launched RxPass, which allows Prime members to order an unlimited amount of some unbranded prescription medications for $5 a month. It has also rolled out a "Clinic" telehealth service that connects patients with clinicians and a broader mail-order pharmacy service.
The addition to Amazon's flagship Prime membership program comes as the company looks to "stack" healthcare services together and broaden its reach in the sector, which would be "big for us if we do a good job," said Neil Lindsay, senior vice-president of Amazon Health. The subscription will cost Amazon Prime members $9 per month or $99 per year, compared with the standard One Medical subscription fee of $199 per year. That will come on top of the $139 per year, or $14.99 a month, price for a Prime subscription.
The move is Amazon's latest effort to leverage its loyal base of Prime members and become a big player in the healthcare industry. In January, following its 2018 acquisition of mail-order pharmacy PillPack for about $1 billion, Amazon launched RxPass, which allows Prime members to order an unlimited amount of some unbranded prescription medications for $5 a month. It has also rolled out a "Clinic" telehealth service that connects patients with clinicians and a broader mail-order pharmacy service.
Why would I want this...? (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm trying to wonder why in the world I'd want to pay for "virtual healthcare"....that sounds virtually useless.
A medical exam, IMHO, pretty much necessitates in person, physical examination.....
This sounds like paying for something slightly more elevated than doing a google search for symptoms, and then....going to a real doctor.
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Well, I hope it succeeds wildly. Maybe it will divert enough patients from the traditional healthcare system that I can actually get an appointment scheduled within a reasonable time frame...
Re:Why would I want this...? (Score:4, Informative)
A medical exam, IMHO, pretty much necessitates in person, physical examination.....
Telemedicine is very common these days. Many consultations with a doctor don't entail a physical examination.
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To me..that's pretty much useless.
I"ve never been to a Dr where they haven't checked me out, examined my problem area(s), etc....
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To me..that's pretty much useless.
I"ve never been to a Dr where they haven't checked me out, examined my problem area(s), etc....
Cool story, but the way you're expressing surprise at the prevalence of telemedicine in 2023 makes it sound like you're living in the 1950's :-).
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Telemedicine for anything other that maybe psychological care.....no, I'd not really known it was much of a thing...
I've never known it to be used by anyone I know (and I know folks IN the medical field).....at least for physical illnesses or injuries that require on site physical examination, which is most anything I would go to a Dr. for....
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My wife is a doctor, there are plenty of things she can do an initial consultation on over a video call - usually it results in a diagnosis and treatment, but it can also escalate to an in-person appointment for a closer physical examination.
She and her facilities find it very successful.
I think you are vastly overestimating the number of issues that need a close physical examination to be diagnosed...
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Basically there are a ton of maladies that really don't need a Physician involved or minimally so. This is perfect for that. However as other people mentioned telemedicine isn't new, and it comes with my health care plan, I don't need this amazon service.
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You must have decent health insurance because I've rarely had a doctor visit that wasn't virtually useless.
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Re:Why would I want this...? (Score:4, Insightful)
"This sounds like paying for something slightly more elevated than doing a google search for symptoms"
You don't want people doing that as a foundation of wide-scale health policy. Google in the hands of the average person is a loaded gun. When you have questions about health, you should be talking to a doctor.
Look at how "doing the research" has worked out for American voters. Not particularly well, and I'm not even trying to be partisan. Having everyone on the same page in terms of medical consensus, even if it's sometimes not optimal, is more cost efficient than a nation where silos of medical belief are encouraged at the policy level.
The cost of devaluing of expertise and the notion that everyone should be their own agent for everything is going to be the lesson taught post-American empire. An easy way to talk to a doctor is the best first line of defiance for a healthy population. Now, a case could be made that that doctor should be somebody you can develop a relationship and history with, and this is where virtual services probably lose some degree of effectiveness if you're just talking to different doctors every time.
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This sounds like a watershed moment for addicts and pill poppers, though - or anyone who has difficulty getting out and getting their necessary medications.
"Doctor I need pain medicine prescriptions"
Though: given that, I'd not be surprised if they're even doing that for certain drugs. There's probably some small print somewhere. There are quite a few medications which are unreasonably regulated and difficult to acquire.
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I'm trying to wonder why in the world I'd want to pay for "virtual healthcare"....that sounds virtually useless.
I'm wondering why in the world anyone would want to pay money for *access* to healthcare. There are clinics everywhere I've ever lived, and most of those also support telehealth visits that are paid for by your insurance, or maybe $40 if you are uninsured or haven't me your deductible, and they don't charge you annually for being able to get care. So unless your family is likely to use three telehealth visits per year, this doesn't make much sense. And even if you do, you can safely assume that most of t
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Last time I had Covid I did a virtual doctor visit because it was significantly cheaper than going to see a doctor in person, and all I was trying to do was get an RX for Paxlovid anyway. Did the video call, held up my test results to the camera, got the RX.
Maybe that doesn't seem useful to you, but I didn't have to go out and potentially expose anyone to Covid and I saved money in the process. That's a win-win in my book.
I don't need "virtual", I want good group coverage (Score:2)
One of my kids is aging out of my benefits so I need to get him covered.
I don't need virtual healthcare, I want Amazon to give me access to some good low-cost group medical and dental coverage.
Re:I don't need "virtual", I want good group cover (Score:5, Insightful)
One of my kids is aging out of my benefits so I need to get him covered.
I don't need virtual healthcare, I want Amazon to give me access to some good low-cost group medical and dental coverage.
The rest of the developed world figured this out decades ago.
Re:I don't need "virtual", I want good group cover (Score:4, Insightful)
One of my kids is aging out of my benefits so I need to get him covered.
If your kid is 26 shouldn’t they be old enough to figure that out for themselves?
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Perhaps Gen Z need to grow up and get out of their parent's basement? I left six weeks after my 18th birthday and never looked back. And getting health coverage [healthcare.gov] is a lot easier today than it was when I left the nest. I flew uninsured a lot in my 20s between jobs. :(
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Parents, hell, family in general, they're there as "break glass in case of emergency".
They should not be there so you can refuse to take a full time job just because you don't view it as being sufficiently "empowering". I'd call up my parents if the alternative was becoming homeless. I would not call them up because I hate being in the workforce and no longer wish to be. I have a Gen Z half-brother from my Mother's second marriage, he's in his mid-20s, and is completely content working a part time $15/h
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Said like someone who's out of touch with the status quo, and has become affluent enough that they're no longer troubled by things most people experience.
News flash: getting a 2 bedroom apartment is often a $4,000+ expense for the first month: first month, last month, 2 month deposit, credit report and 2 references, etc.
This is troublesome for people in their 30s who are doing "quite well" for themselves.
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Kudos for you. If you did it before healthcare.gov, then you had it easy. Cause it was easy for me too at 20 back then. And we were a poor family with dad working 2 jobs! My 5 year younger brother had it much harder when he did it. And I look at my friends' kids out of college... its a hell of a lot harder.
Honestly, after 2010, "...get out of their parent's basement" is a stupid recommendation. No, go back a few generations or be like many in the world. Be smart, live together and help each other. I
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You would think, but some of the people we hire at my employer are barely functioning adults. It's what happens when No Child Left Behind meets Helicopter Parenting. Also add a dash of "went to school but no experience working a real job" for a few. Smart on paper but can't think on their feet.
Re:I don't need "virtual", I want good group cover (Score:5, Insightful)
Most people in their 30s-50s spent most of their 20s and 30s with little to no healthcare because they couldn't afford the $500+ a month out of their paycheck. (And, by "couldn't afford", I mean it was their second biggest expense and impeded their ability to pay for things like food.)
If he's willing to help his adult child simply survive, why would you fault him for that?
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I don't need virtual healthcare, I want Amazon to give me access to some good low-cost group medical and dental coverage.
If you want that, you need to move to another country.
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Tell your kid to get a job.
Healthcare push out a turd (Score:3)
What Americans need is access to medical services, not a "you're fucked" hotline.
I've had referrals in for many months now and haven't heard a single peep. I'm going to have to go who knows how far out of the county to find someplace that I can get care, and I have insurance.
Re:Healthcare push out a turd (Score:5, Interesting)
and how much demand the invaders from the south are adding to the system
It's funny you say that because I Iive in Humboldt where a bunch of people from the South congealed. They brought their ignorance and racism with them. I've never seen so many confederate battle flags flown in California.
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Ignorance, racism and flags all suck.
Conflicts of interest (Score:4, Interesting)
What I'm about to say applies to all large, private healthcare providers and their hangers-on. I just never thought of this until the absurdity of Amazon being in healthcare smacked me in the face: Big healthcare providers have an interest in their customers being sick. Not too sick of course, but sick enough to increase profits. If your healthcare provider is also positioned to 'recommend' things which aren't too healthy for you...
Then there's the insurance side of the healthcare business - and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see 'Zon moving into that space as well. So then you'd have Amazon shopping customers buying foods and and other items that are arguably health risks, who are also Amazon health insurance customers. "Claim denied" is all I need to say about that.
Many might brand me as an unrealistically paranoid conspiracy theorist for what I just wrote. I would argue that if you think that, you really haven't been paying attention.
Re:Conflicts of interest (Score:4, Insightful)
You only get tax breaks if you meet a bunch of certain criteria for medical expenses. People without income don't get these breaks. They fall into the privately administered (read middle-men) public healths. Medicare (for the aged) and Medicaid for the disabled and poor; VA for the military. (they actually have gov run hospitals, so not sure if this plan has been privatized.)
Insurance companies are the parasite, having even invaded the public health plans. They made divisions to accept medicaid expansion. the government replies on actuaries employed by business people to determine what care you will receive. It already happens this way. You are not free to choose. And paying cash is difficult because all prices are variable to client--you have to negotiate. Not having a "plan" is frowned upon even if you're rich. Rural hospitals need money or they close. So they up billings ask for BS testing and the like. Amazon wants in on that. Blind overwrought, padded billings all automated and unseen. The consumer barely knows what's what, because vendors want it to be confusing as to who pays, so they can all get their cut and you don't say why $5 for plastic skin bandage? None of this has to do with healing. Correct sir or ma'am. Your value is not in your health but in how many billings you can provide. Get sick and find out.
Important Correction (Score:2)
How about (Score:2)
Amazon employees like drivers and warehouse workers?
Give me what I really want (Score:2)
I don't need anything involving healthcare from Amazon. What I really want is movies without any damned commercials.
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I don't need anything involving healthcare from Amazon. What I really want is movies without any damned commercials.
Amazon Healthcare - now with added "Healthy Choice" commercials! Pass the time waiting for your "Get lost - we don't cover that" decision by watching previews of Prime videos and reviewing Amazon's Choice selections based on your shopping history and your symptoms... Just in! Amazon now offers funeral supplies and services. We see that your health is sub-optimal, and you've been spending a LOT on healthcare lately, so we've pre-selected an Amazon Basics funeral package just for you. And because you're an Am
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Jesus - is Amazon now adding commercials to Prime movies?
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https://www.aboutamazon.com/ne... [aboutamazon.com]
To continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time, starting in early 2024, Prime Video shows and movies will include limited advertisements. We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers. Ads in Prime Video content will be introduced in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Canada in early 2024, followed by France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Australia later in the year.
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Oh, nice.
One more thing I can use as a motivation to cancel Prime membership and go back to shopping at Walmart, I suppose.
I can see it now (Score:2)
will they be forced to offer without prime? in som (Score:2)
will they be forced to offer without prime? in some areas?
I Don't Quite Get It ... (Score:2)
Amazon Prime members will be able to access US healthcare provider One Medical's suite of benefits, for a fee
Did they announce at the same time that non- Amazon Prime members could also access One Medical's benefits for a fee? $199 per person [onemedical.com], to be exact.
Literally all this is is Amazon giving a coupon for $X off of One Medical to Prime members: it's a complete non-story.
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Who the fuck pissed in your cereal this morning?
>Did they announce at the same time that non- Amazon Prime members could also access One Medical's benefits for a fee? $199 per person [onemedical.com], to be exact.
Since you could do that since before amazon bought them... no shit? It's also right on the website.
>Literally all this is is Amazon giving a coupon for $X off of One Medical to Prime members: it's a complete non-story.
Ah yes, "you can save $100 a year if you want to add in telehealth to your
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Who the fuck pissed in your cereal this morning?
I offended you by calling a coupon a coupon?
Ah yes, "you can save $100 a year if you want to add in telehealth to your existing prime subscription". Total non-story. No one will care about it, for SURE!
It's still a coupon. Amazon has $100 )or more) of products all the time: it doesn't make news.
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It's news when it concerns tens of millions of people having the choice to get medical consultation and / or pay less for medical costs per year, or more, VS. the thousands to maybe hundreds of thousands people interested getting $100 off a generator or wood chipper or something.
The news interests ME, since I can save money on insurance AND "visit" a doctor more often at the same time. Maybe I will call in more often and get minor things checked out instead of waiting until I need to see my primary care for
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A coupon can be relevant to you, or it can even be relevant to lots of people, but that doesn't make it a newsworthy event. It's in the very word itself; "news" means new stuff.
Coupons from an e-commerce company aren't new. All that's new here is that Amazon is giving a free healthcare coupon instead of (say) a wood chipper coupon.
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>It's in the very word itself; "news" means new stuff.
I must have missed it... When, exactly, before was Amazon selling access to doctors to anyone, much less Prime Members again? Got a link? And by that I mean AMAZON actually selling it, just being owned by the same parent company means nothing if the markets are completely separate like they have been up until now.
Because it's new to me, and everyone else who read the story. You always had to go to your own completely non-affiliated doctor for amazon p
They have a pretty decent pharmacy, too (Score:2)
We have pretty decent medical insurance with prescription benefits, but lately the prescription part has been getting weak.
Last month our provider decided that one of my wife's prescriptions was no longer covered and wanted thousands for a 3-month supply.
3 months of the exact same prescription was available from amazon pharmacy for less than $100.00.
Maybe amazon is selling at a loss to crush the competition and gain a monopoly?
Naahhh...they wouldn't do that.
Hard pass (Score:2)