Amazon Prime is getting into healthcare, but it’s no replacement for your health insurance.
The e-commerce giant is now offering Prime members access to One Medical, which Amazon acquired for $3.9 billion last year in an effort to streamline the US healthcare experience. It'll cost an extra $9 per month or or $99 per year on top of the existing Prime membership fee.
The deal requires Prime subscribers to hold health insurance, which will be billed for One Medical services. Otherwise, consumers will have to pay out of pocket for in-office and remote visits.
(Credit: Getty Images)The offer may seem redundant for users who already have a healthcare provider through their insurance. But Amazon is marketing the deal as a way for Prime subscribers to receive on-demand premium healthcare that promises to be better than other medical providers.
“Taking care of your health should be easy, but the current US health care experience is often hard to navigate, frustrating, and dissatisfying,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in a tweet. “Today, we’re making high-quality health care more affordable.”
Since the Amazon acquisition, One Medical has been offering in-office doctor's appointments in eligible areas that can be scheduled within a day and virtual on-demand care 24/7. In return, the company has been charging an annual membership at $199 per year.
The Amazon Prime benefit essentially offers a $100 discount on the current One Medical membership. But the offer doesn’t appear to provide any relief for the major crisis facing US healthcare: high costs.
Still, Amazon says the One Medical deal has other benefits, including access to Amazon Pharmacy and RxPass, “which lets members get as many eligible medications as they need for one flat fee of $5 per month and have them delivered free to their doors in two days or less.”
Interested users can sign up at health.amazon.com/prime. Amazon also posted a detailed FAQ.
