Amazon has announced its plan to shut down its virtual health service for companies by the end of the year.
In a memo, Amazon senior vice president of health, Neil Lindsay said, “Amazon Care isn’t the right long-term solution for our enterprise customers, so we have “decided that we will no longer offer Amazon Care after December 31, 2022”.
The company announced the decision to Amazon Care employees on Wednesday, reported The Washington Post.
Lindsay further said that the decision was made only after many months of careful consideration.
Many enrolled members loved a lot of aspects of Amazon Care but it was not a complete enough offering for the large enterprise customers that they have been targeting, and wasn’t going to work long-term, he added.
Amazon first started this virtual care service for members in 2019. It had the option for an in-home visit for employees from trained healthcare providers.
The company said that several Amazon Care employees will have an opportunity to join other parts of the Health Services organization or other teams at Amazon.
Lindsay informed that the company will support employees looking for roles outside of the company.
E-Commerce giant last month stepped up into healthcare by acquiring primary healthcare organization One Medical for approximately $3.9 billion. It made its effort to reinvent healthcare in the digital and virtual era.
One Medical combines in-person care in inviting offices across the country with digital health and virtual care services, making it easier for patients to schedule appointments, renew prescriptions, access up-to-date health records, and advance health outcomes.
(inputs from IANS)