(NewsNation) — Amazon is adding telemedicine visits in all 50 states to a virtual clinic it launched last fall, as the e-commerce giant pushes deeper into care delivery.
The tech giant said that customers can visit its virtual clinic around the clock through Amazon’s website or app. There, they can compare prices and response times before picking a telemedicine provider from several options.
The clinic, which doesn’t accept insurance, launched last fall with a focus on text message-based consultations. Those remain available in 34 states. The new video telemedicine option also will be available in Washington, D.C.
Virtual care, or telemedicine, exploded in popularity when COVID-19 hit a few years ago. It has remained popular as a convenient way to check in with a doctor or deal with relatively minor health issues like pink eye.
Amazon says its clinic offers care for more than 30 common health conditions. Those include sinus infections, acne, COVID-19 and acid reflux. The clinic also offers treatments for motion sickness, seasonal allergies and several sexual health conditions, including erectile dysfunction.
It also provides birth control and emergency contraception.
Amazon said messaging-based consultations cost $35 on average while video visits cost $75.
Anti-monopoly groups had called on the Federal Trade Commission to block the deal, arguing it would endanger patient privacy and help make the retailer more dominant in the marketplace.
“The idea of Amazon getting into telehealth is actually a great idea because customers are demanding convenience,” said technology expert Marva Baylor. “As far as the data part goes, they’re all under what’s called HIPAA, and they are following the HIPAA regulations. Just like your doctors or your providers or your hospitals.”
Amazon is prohibited from looking at any private health information patients enter. According to Amazon’s blog, its privacy policy is strong and the company insists it won’t use customers’ information to make money.
“People are wondering will they be able to use my information to give advertising. If you look at the FAQs and what they’re agreeing to as a contract per se with you as a consumer, it actually has an item specifically to that that they will not use your data to provide advertisement,” Baylor explained.
Amazon said the clinic can hold on to patients’ doctor’s records for purposes of sharing them with another doctor. Experts recommend patients read the fine print and ensure they opt out of it if they don’t want their information or their records shared with another doctor.
