Amazon remains bullish on healthcare.
The News: The tech company is consolidating Amazon Clinic and One Medical, offering pay-per-visit options alongside membership-based primary care.
Ideal for those who don’t live near a One Medical or need an appointment fast, customers can now book one-off telehealth visits for common conditions.
True to Amazon’s brand, both services emphasize cost and immediacy as selling points — with $49 appointments or $9/month ongoing access for Prime members.
Why it matters: With one-third of Americans lacking a primary care doctor due to physician shortages, demand for walk-in clinics is growing — especially in rural areas, where the odds of dying between the age of 25–54 are 43% higher.
But after ambitious attempts to crack healthcare, major retailers are retreating.
- Last month, Dollar General ended its mobile clinic pilot with DocGo.
- Posting $6B in Q2 losses, Walgreens plans to close 160 VillageMD Clinics.
- After losing $230M last year, Walmart Health shuttered clinics and sold assets to healthtech startup Fabric.
Still in the race, Costco x Sesame offer primary care, therapy, and even weight loss drugs.
Looking ahead: Scaling affordable services, Amazon will have to balance cost and quality control. Unlike consumer goods, human-centered healthcare is difficult to mass produce.
