Author: Mike Roc
Amazon Care’s online and in-home health care services will be phased out by the end of the year. This is because Amazon can’t keep up with many big firms and customers. According to Neil Lindsay, senior vice president of Amazon Health Services, Amazon will close its virtual service in the United States by December 31.
What is Amazon Care?
Amazon Care was established in 2019 to assist Amazon employees in Washington State. The platform joins patients virtually with medics and nurses who can offer treatment 24/7. Amazon Care does not have clinics but provides in-person treatment such as vaccines and flu testing in many regions.
The service has subsequently grown, delivering virtual visits nationally and plans to provide in-person services in 20 regions this year. The firm attempted to expand its subscription and sign up additional professonals to offer healthcare services to their employees, but resulted to limited success.
According to a person familiar with the project, Amazon Care employs around 400 people. According to a statement by one of the company’s official, some of the employees of Amazon health care will be offered other jobs in the orgatnization.
Amazon Care is Closing Down
In an email to workers, Lindsay stated that Amazon reacted to employer comments and tried to enhance Amazon Care. “However,” Lindsay stated that, “despite our efforts we have determined that Amazon Care is not the best long-term solution for our business clients.”
He further said that Amazon Care “isn’t a complete quality service for the major corporate clients we’ve been targeting. It wasn’t going to work long term.” Reacting to the number of employees the closure will affect, the company declined to tell many people will be affected.
Amazon Care is not the company’s only unsuccessful attempt at healthcare. The digital and retail titan was also a part of brief cooperation with JPMorgan and Berkshire Hathaway to lower healthcare costs.
These corporate leaders formed a separate business called Haven to deal with enhancing treatment and handling expenses.
New Amazon Deal
Last month, Amazon revealed intentions to acquire One Medical, which operates a network of primary care clinics in cities around the country. According to regulatory records, Amazon began discussions with One Medical in February, and the agreement is subject to regulatory approval.
One Medical has signed over 8,500 firms, including Google, to give employees subscriptions and sell memberships to clients directly.
Mr. Lindsay added in an email, “I believe the health care area is ripe for revolution, and our efforts to enhance the health care experience may have an enormously beneficial influence on our quality of life and health outcomes.”
Conclusion
Many people have been surprised by Amazon’s choice to abandon its consumer-focused strategy, backed by excellent analytical powers. The move to shut down Amazon Care is surprising, and it raises many doubts about whether the OneMedical agreement will ever go through or whether Amazon would cancel the contract.