A partnership between Amazon and City of Hope—a California-based cancer treatment facility—was announced on Oct. 15.
To mitigate the cost of rising healthcare prices, companies such as Walmart and Lowe’s are sending their employees to medical specialists beyond their local providers. Amazon will send employees, nationwide, in need of cancer treatment to City of Hope.
“This is a way for companies to try and figure out how can they do something to make it less expensive and better for employees,” said Trends Expert and Director of the Avant-Guide Institute Daniel Levine. “The one thing that Americans can agree on—just one thing—is that our healthcare system is broken.”
Employers have had a nearly 200 percent increase in healthcare spending from 1999 to 2016, according to data from the Health Information Alliance.
Walmart started offering its employees travel healthcare benefits in 2013. According to CNBC, a senior director from Walmart’s benefits department reported that the company successfully lowered its healthcare costs, all while sending their employees to top hospitals.
Elizabeth Walker of Walmart Corporate Affairs said in an article that they managed to prevent unnecessary surgeries due to misdiagnosis by connecting patients with experts on a national level.
Future of Employer Healthcare
“One question is, will Americans that are part of these programs believe that the companies are doing this in the best interest of their employees?” Levine asked.
We contacted Amazon and asked how much they expected to save through the program and how many employees would benefit, but they declined to comment via email.
Levine said he expects more of these programs in the near future. However, factors such as the 2020 presidential election and whether employees accept these programs or not will determine if they are here to stay.
