Rumored Amazon Pilot Would Target Hospital-to-Home Transitions

http://bit.ly/2zMo18N

Two health systems are reportedly working with Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) and a startup called Xealth, with plans to launch a pilot program that could ease patients’ transition between hospital and home.

“The idea behind the pilot, which is still under review and is slated to start in a matter of months, is to provide patients discounted easy access to the medical supplies and other goods they need via Amazon Prime,” wrote CNBC’s Christina Farr, who first reported the story last week. “Those who do not have a Prime membership or do not want to use Amazon would still be able to access the pilot via other e-commerce providers.”

The pilot would involve Seattle-based Providence Health Systems and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Both have invested in a startup called Xealth, which has specialized in making digital tools and resources available to patients, supporting health system efforts to monitor and manage care.

Xealth would spearhead this new pilot, with Amazon providing guidance on setting up the bundles of goods and the reseller accounts, Farr reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the effort.