From Alexa to COVID-19 tests, Amazon expands healthcare aspirations in 2021

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to burden the system and change the way care is delivered, Amazon has begun to add and expand its health offerings this year. When Alexa Together officially launched earlier this month, Amazon announced integrations with third-party fall-detection companies, and Alexa can call its emergency response team if necessary. Outside the home, the company expanded its Alexa Smart Properties arm, which is used to deploy the voice assistant at scale in businesses like hotels, vacation rentals and offices, to senior living communities and health systems. In March, Amazon landed emergency use authorization from the FDA for its COVID-19 test with at-home sample collection, which would fit into the company’s employee-screening program. A few months later, Insider reported that Amazon was planning to launch an at-home COVID-19 testing kit, with long-term plans to expand even further into the diagnostics space, including tests for other respiratory infections and sexually transmitted infections. Amazon Care expands At the very end of 2020, Insider first reported that Amazon would expand its internal virtual care service, called Amazon Care, to outside employers. By September, it was reported Amazon would bring its full-package Amazon Care offerings, including telehealth and in-person home visits, to 20 major cities throughout next year. Last month, Hilton became Amazon Care’s second publicly announced employer customer.