What’s better than free two-day shipping and a streaming service?
Cheaper health care options, it seems, as Amazon has announced that it is adding a new health care benefit for Prime members, and not only that, it will only cost $9 a month (or $99 a year).
The benefit allows Prime members to get on-demand virtual care 24/7 at no additional cost, provided by One Medical, an Amazon company:
The One Medical membership covers unlimited access to 24/7 on-demand virtual care, including video chats with licensed providers within minutes and an easy in-app “Treat Me Now” feature that lets members get fast care for common concerns like cold and flu, skin issues, allergies, urinary tract infections, and more. Virtual care is available nationally, and members don’t incur any additional costs for on-demand virtual care services—it’s all covered by the membership. And One Medical’s app makes it easy for members to navigate care and stay on top of their health journey—from prescription management, secure messaging with providers, follow-up action items after appointments, and more.
Amazon has also explained that the benefit includes the option for visiting One Medical locations for in-person and remote primary care services:
Prime members who sign up for this new benefit and live near a One Medical location can also easily schedule same- and next-day remote or in-person appointments at any of One Medical’s hundreds of primary care offices across the U.S. One Medical offices are designed to make patients feel better in a stress-free and welcoming environment, offering drop-in on-site labs, appointments that start on time, and longer visits with ample uninterrupted time between patients and their primary care providers. For office visits, customers use their insurance or pay out of pocket—One Medical also accepts health plans from most insurance carriers, and you can click here to see which ones.
Prime members who wish to sign up can go to health.amazon.com/prime (or search for One Medical on Amazon.com) to add a Prime One Medical membership for themselves, or up to five additional Prime One Medical memberships for their family.
“When it is easier for people to get the care they need, they engage more in their health and realize better health outcomes,” said Neil Lindsay, senior vice president, Amazon Health Services. “That’s why we are bringing One Medical’s exceptional experience to Prime members—it’s health care that makes it dramatically easier to get and stay healthy.”
Discussion (19 replies)
Join Discussion →Telecare is useless. I tried to get help during covid with lack of sleep and all I got was a long goodbye.
I've had the complete opposite experience with telehealth.
My mind jumps to "Why would Amazon do this?"
And then... a reason to have your health care info.
Me no likely.
It gets me discounts on Depends and Viagra
(y)
They already have it, don't worry too much. All the relevant players have it.
Well, idk the doctor was saying about limits on ylthis and that, and I was like well screw you then. Sure I guess I couod have had covid diagnosed over the webcam, but whatever, big effin deal.
You used it for the wrong reasons. Anything that requires labs is not going to work. Got a sinus or urinary tract infection? Use telehealth. You need blood work or some other type of test done? Don't.
If they have it w/o consent then that is a whole ball of wax they don't want.
And they certainly have never had my consent.
None of my medical goes to google either.
BTW - Im not saying they don't have it, but this would legitimize them having it, which is a no-go for me.
I have news for you. The vast majority of EMR systems are hosted on AWS and Google.
My current healthcare plan offers free telehealth when you use their portal for it. One of my employees took them up on that a couple years ago, then received a bill for using an out of network provider (doctor) for telehealth.
No consent needed. Its called the MIB, don't worry, they know everything about you. You know all those codes that your doctor uses, they have all those. Yeah, maybe not specific results as in your hemoglobin was 14.0 in the year 2020. But really everything else they have, all the diagnostic codes likely all the test ordered etc and prescriptions.
You are protecting nothing, you are paranoid about nothing, all the wrong people have the most information already, lawfully style.
Sure, of course a darkweb leak about your actual bonifide results might happen, yes, and that would suck a lot, that someone somewhere might know you suffer from recurrent chamydia or whaeltever, or had testicular cancer or whatver, painful embarrassing, absolutely, also useless.
I think I would take back all this I am saying if you have been 100% cash all your life for healthcare, but even then I would not be completely sure about this.
Again, each and every relevant player that cna affect your life, your costs for insurance, life insurance health insurance, already know you like a book.
Idk, doc I need help with sleep doesn't sound like it should need labs, could have give me script for those and a second telehealth appointment for that but no. A UTI needs labs to be certain, actually assuming one by video is risky, riskier than here some sleeping pills. Excluding back pain, which is yet another dimension of other problems you can't reliably differentiate via video, it burns when I pee, requires a culture to better target the bacteria, and possibly exclude gc/ chamidia and so on. Telecare is mostly useless, I mean, if it works for viagra, well cool, I guess I am in for that why not?
The problem is... someone somewhere is going to build a loophole in where medical insurance companies can charge you a rate for insurance based on RISK. Even if you're on a corporate plan. That's why they give 'AMAZING' discounts on corporate plans as long as you get the exam or get the medical check-in done.
Sure it's to limit your exposure... but really... it's so they can adjust their billing to say.. You have a company risk of xxx percentage so your cost is xx,xxx,xxx dollars a year for your employees.
Pretty sure that's exactly how they do it now.
Well, it kind of depends. Smaller employers are pretty much all in "community rated" plans where Obamacare prevents them from charging based on risk - they can use age and zip code and that's it for determining your rates (and that's what my other business is doing).
Larger employers usually find it more cost effective to do some form of level funded plan - essentially they buy a backstop insurance policy to cover unexpected yuge claims and pay the employee claims out of pocket that's administered by the insurance company. The employees won't know what the back end of their insurance is. My other company doesn't qualify for this based on risk according to a couple of insurers (had to fill out some health questionnaires to apply).
Now, costs on the community funded plans will vary a lot based on age. A 60 year old on my plan costs more than twice per month than a 40 year old. I think the legal boundaries on it allow up to a 3x differential between oldest and youngest on the price schedule.