Amazon to expand Amazon Care telehealth service across the U.S.

Amazon announced Wednesday that it will expand its Amazon Health Care service to non-Amazon employees , starting in Washington state and then expanding nationwide later this year .

Amazon 's number of employees reached 566,000 in 2017. To protect the health of its employees, Amazon launched the Amazon Care telemedicine service in September 2019. This service was previously only available to Amazon employees in Washington State, where Amazon's headquarters is located. Now Amazon will not only expand this service nationwide, but will also expand the home care part of the service in multiple cities .

Prior to this, Amazon has partnered with a company called Oasis Medical Group in Washington State to provide telemedicine services to Seattle employees. Professional medical personnel will provide consultations to employees and their families on the Amazon Care app and answer questions related to medical health.

Shares of telemedicine giant Teladoc fell more than 7% following the expansion news.

As people are unable to go to the doctor's office for in-person consultations due to the pandemic, virtual medical care has emerged . Telemedicine startups such as Seattle-based 98poin 6 are raising funds to help meet the demand for online consultations .

CNBC reported in October that Amazon was looking for a business development manager to "build and grow relationships with commercial and public sector businesses" for Amazon Care , allowing for possible expansion .

Amazon ’s health and wellness efforts include not only the acquisition of online pharmacy Pillpack and the company’s new Halo health-tracking device, but also a partnership with Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan to create a new healthcare company (its partnerships with both companies ended earlier this year ) and the company also sells Amazon Web Services to healthcare customers .

It is reported that the Amazon Care program provides users with two chat methods: video and text. People who use the application must have a mobile phone equipped with iOS 12.0 or Android 6.0 or higher. Once signed up, employees can chat with clinicians via text or video to get everything from advice to diagnosis.