Amazon pilots health care program with virtual, in-home options; Teladoc's stock falls
Amazon.com Inc. has launched recently its Amazon Care pilot program for employees in the Seattle area, allowing for virtual and in-home care and prescription deliveries. Employees who are at least 18 years old, are currently enrolled in an Amazon health insurance plan and live and work within current service locations are eligible for the program, the e-commerce and cloud giant said. Shares of telehealthcare provider Teladoc Health Inc. dropped 7.0% in premarket trading, after shedding 1.7% on Tuesday. The company said employees who are enrolled in Kaiser Permanente are unable to participate at this time. Amazon Care options include Care Chat, which connects users with a nurse; Video Care, which provides a "video visit" with a doctor or nurse practitioner; Mobile Care, in which a nurse can be dispatched to the user's home or office; and Care Courier, in which prescriptions can be delivered to a user's home or office. Amazon's stock, which slipped 0.3% in premarket trading, has gained 16.0% year to date through Tuesday. In comparison, the SPDR Health Care Select Sector ETF has tacked on 4.8% this year and the S&P 500 has advanced 18.3%.
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