Amazon is in talks with Xealth, a startup that offers a digital prescribing and analytics platform, and two health systems about a pilot project that would enable physicians to recommend medical product bundles to their patients at the hospital and have those products delivered to the patients' homes upon discharge, sources told CNBC.
The pilot plan, which is slated to launch in a matter of months, would give patients access to discounted medical supplies and other products they need via Amazon Prime. Patients who do not have a Prime membership would be able to use other e-commerce providers to access the pilot, according to the report.
Amazon is providing guidance on how to set up the medical product bundles and the reseller accounts, while Xealth is managing the project, sources told CNBC. The companies are in discussions with Renton, Wash.-based Providence Health & Services and Pittsburgh-based UPMC about rolling out the program. Providence and UPMC were among the venture investors that contributed more than $8 million in funding to Xealth.
Although a small number of hospital networks would initially be involved, the delivery service is designed to be expanded to other health systems across the nation, according to the report.
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