Why Amazon Needs AI At The Center Of Its Healthcare Strategy

In December 2017, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway announced the formation of a new healthcare company which would use technology to provide high-quality healthcare to patients and families more simply, and at a more reasonable cost. This move and rumors of entry into pharmaceutical distribution shook up stock prices for more established healthcare companies and pharmacy chains. Amazon's entry into healthcare is intriguing because medicine is ripe for disruption. In 2016, U.S. per-person healthcare expenses were $10,348, more than double that of other first-world countries that offer universal health coverage ($4,752 in Canada, $4,600 in France, $4,708 in Australia, and $4,192 in the UK). Despite these costs, U.S. medical care is not altogether accurate or safe; medical errors kill more Americans annually than AIDS and motor vehicle incidents.