Amazon Targets Disruption Via Internal Healthcare Service Expansion: FT

Amazon.Com Inc AMZN targets expansion of its internal healthcare service to other companies. It plans to launch video calls with doctors to tap millions of U.S. citizens, the Financial Times reports.

• The e-commerce group plans to make Amazon Care immediately accessible to the Washington companies before expanding into the other states by 2021 summer.
• Amazon Care, which was previously restricted to the company’s employees, allowed patients to speak to a doctor, nurse, or other health practitioners, 24 hours a day via a smartphone app.
• Amazon Care offered a limited number of in-person services, including routine blood draws to listening to a patient’s lungs, and prescription delivery in Seattle.
• Amazon planned to extend in-person services to Baltimore, Washington, DC, and northern Virginia in the coming months. North Virginia is the site of the company’s second” headquarters.
• Amazon’s move is being perceived as another industry disruption by capitalizing on its popularity.
• Amazon’s foray into telehealth had the industry into jitters, including Teladoc Health Inc TDOC.
• Price action: AMZN shares are trading lower by 1.11% at $3,101.05, and TDOC shares traded lower by 0.83% at $188.52 on the last check Thursday.