Amazon, which was founded in 1994, has grown from an online bookstore that competed with Barnes & Noble and local booksellers to a conglomerate involved a range of industries. The company recently recorded a new milestone, launching virtual healthcare through its One Medical service.
This healthcare program can be accessed by members of Amazon Prime, either annually at $99 or monthly at $9. This is quite a steal, especially when compared to rates of nonmembers, which stand at $198 annually and $18 monthly. The One Medical service has different offerings, including its Treat Me Now feature, which offers guidance on common illnesses such as colds, infections and allergies, as well as 24/7 access to video chats with certified healthcare providers.
This virtual care program is the company’s latest move toward becoming a key player in the healthcare industry.
In 2019, the firm launched a virtual care platform for its employees dubbed Amazon Care. In 2021, the platform was made available to other employers. However, in late 2022, the company decided to withdraw it from the market, citing that the platform didn’t appeal to large enterprises as it wasn’t fully developed.
Despite this setback, however, Amazon bought out One Medical for almost $4 billion in early 2023. Later this year, it expanded the healthcare service to encompass around-the-clock telemedicine visits. In addition to this, it launched a monthly pharmaceutical subscription dubbed RxPass, which can be accessed by members of Amazon Prime.
Amazon is one among other companies also looking to expand their share of the healthcare market. Walmart, another retail giant, has also made progress toward becoming a major provider in this market. A few years ago, the retail giant began launching brick-and-mortar clinics across America, hoping to achieve its objective of becoming the neighborhood health destination in the country. In 2021, it also launched insulin drugs aimed at improving affordability of medicine for patients with diabetes.
Earlier in the year, Walmart announced that it planned to increase its clinics, hoping to add 28 new locations in 2024. Additionally, it was recently reported that the retail giant was in discussions to purchase majority stake in ChenMed. ChenMed is a primary care provider that mainly deals with seniors.
Walmart and Amazon are part of a larger pipeline of retailer-to-healthcare providers that has grown in the last few years. Pharmacy chains such as CVS and Walgreens are a few others that have greatly invested in becoming primary care providers.
Healthcare e-commerce platforms such as NextPlat Corp. (NASDAQ: NXPL) (NASDAQ: NXPLW) are also helping to popularize virtual healthcare, which could result in the majority of the population preferring to access all the healthcare services and products that they need via the internet.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to NextPlat Corp. (NASDAQ: NXPL) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/NXPL
About BioMedWire
BioMedWire (“BMW”) is a specialized communications platform with a focus on the latest developments in the Biotechnology (BioTech), Biomedical Sciences (BioMed)and Life Sciences sectors. It is one of 60+ brands within the Dynamic Brand Portfolio @ IBN that delivers: (1) access to a vast network of wire solutions via InvestorWire to efficiently and effectively reach a myriad of target markets, demographics and diverse industries; (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ outlets; (3) enhanced press release enhancement to ensure maximum impact; (4) social media distribution via IBN to millions of social media followers; and (5) a full array of tailored corporate communications solutions. With broad reach and a seasoned team of contributing journalists and writers, BMW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that want to reach a wide audience of investors, influencers, consumers, journalists and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, BMW brings its clients unparalleled recognition and brand awareness.
BMW is where breaking news, insightful content and actionable information converge.
To receive SMS alerts from BioMedWire, “Biotech” to 888-902-4192 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information, please visit https://www.BioMedWire.com
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.BioMedWire.com/Disclaimer
BioMedWire
San Francisco, CA
www.BioMedWire.com
415.949.5050 Office
[email protected]
BioMedWire is powered by IBN