Up until now, the moves that Amazon has made with its new healthcare initiative could be called baby steps, but now, the company has taken a giant leap forward by offering Prime members a $ 99-a-year healthcare plan.
The company called its move a reinvention of the healthcare experience, one designed to make it easier for people to get the healthcare they need – everything from preventive care to managing chronic conditions like diabetes.
Compared to paying for the individual, as-needed medical services Amazon also offers, the One Medical membership covers unlimited access to on-demand virtual care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The subscription also includes video chats with licensed providers. Amazon says those chats can be set up within minutes and its in-app “Treat Me Now” feature lets members get fast care for common concerns like cold and flu, skin issues, allergies, urinary tract infections, and more.
The in-person and remote primary care services add-on
Amazon is building its new option on the back of its acquisition of One Medical, a San Francisco–based chain of primary healthcare clinics that it purchased earlier this year.
When it bought One Medical, it inherited hundreds of doc-in-a-box locations across the country and it’s leveraging those locations to offer Prime members who sign up for the new program the advantage of scheduling same- and next-day remote or in-person appointments at those spots.
However, those visits aren’t free or part and parcel of the $99 annual fee. For office visits, customers will either have to use their insurance or pay out of pocket.
Fees and set-up
Amazon isn’t forcing the $99 plan on Prime members, but also giving them the option of a monthly subscription for $9 a month. Keep in mind that’s “per person” for the subscriber whose name is on the Prime membership.
If you want to bring in members of your family, you can add up to five additional memberships, each costing just $6 a month (or $66 annually—up to $133 off the standard fee). For example, if you have a family of six, that’s $588 a year that you would spend for the service.
If you think Amazon’s bright idea is worth checking out, here’s the steps to sign up:
Prime members can go to health.amazon.com/prime or search for One Medical on Amazon.com to add a Prime One Medical membership for themselves and up to five additional Prime One Medical memberships for their families.
Members will have the option to pay either monthly or annually and then move on to checkout.
Members will then be guided to One Medical, where they can download the One Medical app, create an account, add family members, and book their first appointment.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2023-11-10 19:05:55