Benzinga | Mar 18, 2021 09:32AM EDT

Amazon Targets Disruption Via Internal Healthcare Service Expansion: FT

Amazon.Com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) targets expansion of its internal healthcare service to other companies. It plans to launch video calls with doctors to tap millions of U.S. citizens, the Financial Times reports.

* The e-commerce group plans to make Amazon Care immediately accessible to the Washington companies before expanding into the other states by 2021 summer.

* Amazon Care, which was previously restricted to the company's employees, allowed patients to speak to a doctor, nurse, or other health practitioners, 24 hours a day via a smartphone app.

* Amazon Care offered a limited number of in-person services, including routine blood draws to listening to a patient's lungs, and prescription delivery in Seattle.

* Amazon planned to extend in-person services to Baltimore, Washington, DC, and northern Virginia in the coming months. North Virginia is the site of the company's second" headquarters.

* Amazon's move is being perceived as another industry disruption by capitalizing on its popularity.

* Amazon's foray into telehealth had the industry into jitters, including Teladoc Health Inc (NYSE: TDOC).

* Price action: AMZN shares are trading lower by 1.11% at $3,101.05, and TDOC shares traded lower by 0.83% at $188.52 on the last check Thursday.