Amazon Healthcare: Yes Please or No Way?

We trust Amazon with an awful lot these days. From overnighting the “yellow shirt” required for your kid’s spirit day at school to delivering groceries via Whole Foods. There’s no doubt that Amazon has become a one-stop shop for just about anything your heart desires.

But where do we draw the line? Would you trust Amazon with your health? 

 

Here’s Five Fast Facts about Amazon’s Dip into Healthcare …… :

  1. 💧 Testing the water - Amazon’s first dip into the healthcare pool came during the pandemic when they launched Amazon Care - a telemedicine app that was first rolled out to employees and later to the general public.
  2. 🌊 Jumping In - Now the company is taking an even bigger plunge by buying One Medical, a primary care company with nearly 200 locations.
  3. 😘 Feeling Good - The ink isn’t dry yet, with approval still needed on this deal. One Medical CEO says the deal is an opportunity to make healthcare more accessible, affordable – and, wait for it – more enjoyable for all. Which leaves us wondering – did they figure out how to make vaccines feel good
  4. 🧩 Putting it all Together - Amazon also bought an online pharmacy called PillPack in 2018. Putting all these pieces together - the telemedicine app, the primary care facilities, and an online pharmacy - it looks like Amazon wants to present a total healthcare package.
  5. 👑 Making a King - While some industry experts remain skeptical about Amazon’s ability to build a healthcare business, one undeniable element to all this is Amazon’s captive audience -- us. A whopping 44% of Americans have an Amazon Prime Account - while the largest healthcare system only serves 1% of the population. 

🔥Bottom line: Most of us already depend on Amazon to some extent, whether it’s for household staples, streaming content, or even groceries. But are we ready to trust Amazon with our health? Time will tell as they develop this side of the business. 

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