From mental health services to shaking up employer-sponsored health, Walmart Health and Amazon Care are racing to expand into healthcare nationwide.
Here's where the retail giants stand on telehealth:
- Walmart Health has filed paperwork to expand its virtual care into 16 more states, for a total of 20 states, Insider reported June 7. Walmart told Insider the expansion is related to its telehealth push, not its physical primary care clinics.
- Walmart Health has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire on-demand, multispecialty telehealth provider MeMD, Walmart said May 6. By acquiring MeMD, the retail giant will begin providing virtual care services for urgent, behavioral and primary care to complement its in-person Walmart Health Centers.
- Amazon rolled out mental health benefits May 20 for its 950,000 U.S. employees, giving them and their families access to services including virtual counseling.
- Amazon is launching interactive self-care programs, including self-assessments and a stress resource center, and making crisis and suicide prevention support with licensed mental health clinicians available 24/7.
- Amazon Care is expected to launch for employees in all 50 states. Amazon Care's first enterprise customer is Precor, a fitness company recently acquired by Peloton, the company said May 6. Amazon Care has attracted attention in its telehealth offerings but has not disclosed any new customers, CNBC reported June 9.
- Amazon Care is eyeing bringing virtual care offerings to rural areas, a region where healthcare access is scarce.