Amazon has launched a new service focused on virtual medical consultations, in an effort to become a regular source of healthcare for its Prime customers.
This program, available for $9 per month or $99 annually, allows users to quickly access healthcare providers.
This announcement comes less than a year after Amazon's acquisition of One Medical, a membership-based general healthcare provider, for $3.9 billion.
Through this service, Prime customers can connect virtually 24 hours a day with health professionals through video chats. Additionally, they have the option to make in-person visits to One Medical offices.
Although Amazon's membership fee covers the cost of virtual medical consultations, patients will have to pay extra for in-person visits to One Medical offices, for which they can use their health insurance.
This Amazon move seeks to capitalize on the growing popularity of virtual medical consultations, especially driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although this approach offers greater accessibility to healthcare, some professionals express concerns about possible fragmentation in healthcare and the difficulty in following up on the patient's overall health, especially if consulting a provider different from the patient's regular doctor.
With information from: Proceso.
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