Amazon may expand its virtual clinic services to employees working at its second headquarters in Arlington, Va., according to a March 4 Washington Business Journal report.
The virtual medical service, dubbed Amazon Care, went live last month for Amazon's employees in Seattle. The virtual medical clinic offers telehealth consultations with physicians and nurse practitioners to employees who work at Amazon's headquarters and their dependents. Patients can then use an app to schedule follow-up visits in their home or office.
Amazon unveiled details about Amazon Care in September 2019, revealing it planned to launch in Seattle. Amazon's vice president of policy Brian Huseman told Washington Business Journal the company would now "love to expand into Virginia," at its second headquarters. Amazon HQ2 is slated to begin developing the campus this year with construction planned to finish in 2023, according to CNBC.
Mr. Huseman said his staff was following "with great interest" the telehealth bill in Virginia's legislature, which requires the state's health board to encourage telehealth services at Virginia-funded hospitals, primary care facilities, postsecondary schools and emergency medical services agencies, according to the report. The bill also requires state-funded plans cover the costs of a wider expansion of telehealth services, including remote patient monitoring.
The bill passed on March 2 and now awaits the signature of Virginia's governor. Amazon did not disclose how the bill would impact rolling out Amazon Care for HQ2 employees in Virginia, "but it is possible the state framework could affect coverage of Amazon Care's telehealth services locally," according to the report.