There’s no question Amazon makes the lives of people worldwide exponentially better just by existing. Amazon offers products and services that entertain us with Prime TV, read to us with Audible, speak to us with Alexa, keep us safe with Ring, and, well, the list literally goes on and on.
Then on Nov. 15, Amazon announced it will help with our health care, too, when it introduced the U.S. to Amazon Clinic, a brand new virtual health care clinic for Prime members with common medical conditions.
Amazon leapt into the health care realm in November 2020 with Amazon Pharmacy, a full-service online pharmacy with 24/7 access for Prime members to get prescription medications delivered in two days. It compares the cost of medication with and without insurance so members can decide which method is the most affordable. In a year when the world was at a standstill, the newest convenience was a kind of bright spot in an otherwise very “meh” time. And since then, whether you’ll admit it, we’ve all become accustomed to a bit more virtualness in our lives and the sheer convenience it affords.
Maybe that’s one reason telemedicine visits are increasing in popularity because let’s face it, who really wants to drag themselves in person to an office with a UTI, pinkeye, or motion sickness?
It really shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that Amazon is taking its online pharmacy to a new level with Amazon Clinic. The online retailer describes its newest perk as, “A message-based virtual care service that connects customers with affordable virtual care options when and how they need it — at home, after dinner, at the grocery store, or on the go — for more than 20 common health conditions, such as allergies, acne, and hair loss.”
Here’s how Amazon Clinic works for Prime members:
- Select your medical condition from the list.
- Choose a clinician from the list of telehealth providers.
- Complete a short questionnaire based on your medical condition.
- You’re connected with the clinician for a consultation through a secure message-based portal.
- Following the consultation, the clinician sends you a personalized treatment plan through the portal, including prescriptions to your preferred pharmacy.
Amazon Clinic is currently only available in 32 states and features upfront pricing and treatment within hours. The upfront cost includes any potential costs of medications for the condition you have. The clinic doesn’t accept health insurance. Instead, you pay a flat fee and can use your FSA or HSA debit card, or submit a receipt to your insurer for reimbursement.
The post Is Amazon Taking Over the World? The New Prime Membership Perk appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
