Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
If You're A Prime User, Amazon's One Medical Service Is Now Half Price
The Washington Post: Amazon Links One Medical Primary Care To Prime Memberships
Amazon is making membership of One Medical, the boutique primary care clinic it purchased for $3.9 billion, cheaper for its Amazon Prime subscribers, a move that further merges the e-commerce behemoth’s health-care offerings with its core business. Previously, One Medical memberships — initially available largely via employer benefits — cost $199 annually. Starting Wednesday, Amazon Prime members can buy One Medical memberships for $99 a year, a price that signals the tech giant is eager to take the next step in its march into mainstream health care. (O'Donovan, 11/8)
The Wall Street Journal: Amazon To Offer Lower-Cost Primary Care To Prime Members In Latest Healthcare Push
After its purchase of One Medical, some analysts have suggested that Amazon’s ultimate ambition could be to eventually build an expansive healthcare offering that could compete with traditional primary care and employee medical plans. Such an “Amazon Prime Health” product has yet to materialize. A One Medical membership provides patients access to some virtual-care services that are included in the annual fee, as well as in-person visits at clinics across the U.S. that require additional payments either through insurance plans or out-of-pocket. Other services including medical testing also are available. Amazon Prime members currently pay $139 annually to access perks including Amazon’s fast shipping service and Prime Video streaming. (Herrera, 11/8)
In other health care industry news —
Modern Healthcare: Moody's: Nonprofit Hospitals’ Financial Outlook Upgraded For 2024
Labor costs are expected to continue to decline next year, boosting the financial outlook of nonprofit hospitals. Credit ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded the 2024 nonprofit hospital sector financial outlook to stable, from negative. Moody’s researchers expect patient admissions to rise, especially in outpatient facilities, and reimbursement rates from insurers to improve for some providers. Here are five takeaways from the Moody's report released Wednesday. (Kacik, 11/8)
Modern Healthcare: Best Buy Health, Mass General Brigham Partner On At-Home Care
Best Buy is adding Mass General Brigham to its list of partners as the retailer expands at-home care capabilities. Best Buy Health will help scale and support the health system's Healthcare at Home operations, which includes services for acute-level patients and care for patients recovering from an illness or injury. (Hudson, 11/8)
KFF Health News: 'An Arm and a Leg': ‘Your Money Or Your Life’: This Doctor Wrote The Book On Medical Debt
In 2019, emergency medicine physician and historian Luke Messac was working as a medical resident. He had heard about hospitals suing their own patients over unpaid medical bills, so he decided to investigate whether the hospitals where he worked were doing the same. It turns out they were. (11/9)
