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According to an announcement on Tuesday from Amazon, its virtual health clinic service is expanding nationwide.
The program, known as Amazon Clinic, was launched by the online retailer in November. Its aim is to provide consumers with a virtual platform to connect with healthcare professionals for treating common ailments such as sinus infections, acne, and headaches. Users first choose their ailment, then select a provider, and finally complete a brief questionnaire. Depending on their location, users can communicate with a therapist either through text message or video.
Instead of providing telemedicine services directly, Amazon has created Amazon Clinic as a platform to connect patients with telemedicine partners. Current partners include Curai Health, Hello Alpha, SteadyMD, and Wheel.
Following the announcement about Amazon, shares of the virtual doctor service Teladoc dropped by 6%.
Users in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. can now access Amazon Clinic through video visits. However, due to legal restrictions, only 34 states can use the message-based chat feature on Amazon Clinic.
The chief medical officer and general manager of Amazon Clinic, Nworah Ayogu, mentioned in an interview with CNBC that the company evaluates the competence and internal efficiency of each provider to determine if "they stand out as a provider group." The e-commerce giant also ensures that provider groups are staffed across all 50 states for prompt service, added Ayogu.
While Amazon Clinic doesn't accept insurance directly, customers can use their insurance to cover prescription costs. All pharmacies, including Amazon's own online pharmacy which manages fulfillment and delivery, accept these prescriptions.