Amazon Expands Digital Health Benefits Program With Talkspace Partnership

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Dive Brief:

• Amazon is expanding a program that aims to connect users with their healthcare benefits, adding a partnership with a behavioral healthcare provider.
• The retail and technology giant is working with Talkspace to help users check their eligibility and enroll ​​​​in the company’s virtual mental health services, according to a Tuesday press release.
• Talkspace is the second partner in Amazon’s marketplace for health conditions portals. Amazon launched the portal in January, starting with a collaboration with chronic condition management company Omada Health. 

Dive Insight:

When Amazon users search for topics like “stress relief” or “family therapy,” they can check if their insurer or employer covers Talkspace services, according to a press release.

If they’re eligible, users will be directed to Talkspace’s website to enroll and be paired with a therapist. Consumers can also check their coverage through Amazon’s health conditions webpage. Amazon and Talkspace say the partnership aims to boost the use of benefits provided through health plans or employers, as many workers aren’t aware of the options already available to them.

The average copay for a virtual visit is $15, though out-of-pocket costs could vary based on the user’s deductible, according to Talkspace, which offers access to more than 5,000 therapists and other providers across 50 states.

The partnership could be a boon for Talkspace, an online therapy company that went public in 2021 amid a larger boom among digital health firms. It operates in a crowded digital mental health marketplace and draws most of its revenue from payers and employers. Spokespeople for Amazon and Talkspace declined to share financial details behind the partnership.

The addition of Talkspace to Amazon’s health conditions programs comes about nine months after the initiative first launched. Its first partner, Omada, offers cardiometabolic health programs when users search Amazon for related devices, like blood pressure cuffs or glucose monitors. 

The tech giant also plans to expand the program and benefits by partnering with more digital health companies in the future, an Amazon spokesperson told Healthcare Dive. 

The conditions program is one several healthcare offerings launched by Amazon — not all of which have been successful.

This summer, the company folded its telehealth marketplace, previously called Amazon Clinic, into its primary care chain One Medical, and cut prices for messaging and video visits. Amazon acquired One Medical for $3.9 billion last year.