Teladoc Health Launches Amazon Collaboration

Virtual care provider Teladoc Heath has launched a collaboration with Amazon Alexa to provide care on Echo devices such the Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Show.

The partnership – announced in a news release Monday (Feb. 28) – will initially involve Teladoc launching on Alexa via audio, with video visits scheduled for the near future.

“Teladoc Health’s collaboration with Amazon is yet another step in breaking down barriers to healthcare access,” said Donna Boyer, chief product officer, Teladoc Health. “By introducing and integrating our virtual first care experience with Echo devices, we are providing an innovative and convenient way for users to connect with a doctor.”

To access the program, customers cay say, “Alexa, I want to talk to a doctor” into the device to connect with the Teladoc call center.

From there, customers will get a call back on their Echo devices from one of Teladoc’s doctors, who can help them with nonemergency health needs, such as experiencing symptoms of a cold, flu, or allergies. Visits can be free for customers with insurance or $75 without insurance.

“We’re excited to work with Teladoc Health to offer our customers an easy, hands-free way to connect with a doctor,” said Debra Chrapaty, vice president and COO of Amazon Alexa. “Whether they’re taking care of their sick child in the middle of the night or wanting to ask a doctor about allergy symptoms in between meetings during the day, we hope this experience will help customers find the convenient help they want from the comfort of their own home.”

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The partnership comes weeks after Amazon announced it was expanding its Amazon Care telehealth service nationwide.

The program, launched at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters in 2019, offers virtual visits, along with free telehealth consultations and in-home visits from nurses for testing and vaccinations, for a fee, the company said.

Amazon also said it would add in-person services in more than 20 cities this year, writing on its blog that Amazon Care is uniquely positioned to fill a crucial gap in the healthcare system because of the “wider range of care” that includes on-demand primary care and at-home chronic care management.