Amazon launches a low-cost version of Prime for Medicaid recipients
Amazon announced this morning it will offer a low-cost version of its Prime membership program to qualifying recipients of Medicaid. The program will bring the cost of Prime down from the usual $10.99 per month to about half that, at $5.99 per month, while still offering the full range of Prime perks, including free, two-day shipping on millions of products, Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Photos, Prime Reading, Prime Now, Audible Channels, and more.
The new program is an expansion on Amazon's discounted Prime service for customers on government assistance, launched in June 2017. For the same price of $5.99 per month, Amazon offers Prime memberships to any U.S. customer with a valid EBT card – the card that's used to disburse funds for assistance programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program (WIC).
It could be a way to get users with certain health care requirements on board before Amazon launches its own health insurance company.
Also at USA Today.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Thursday March 08 2018, @05:09PM (1 child)
Maybe in limited markets like Seattle... Amazon Prime Pantry is no substitute for a grocery store.
Nice thought, but Amazon (for me) is mostly a way to stay out of the shopping malls - premium luxury optional goods, not a reliable or complete or particularly cost-competitive source of "essentials."
Back in 2002, our local (serving a 300 mile radius) grocery chain trialed an internet shopping direct delivery to the home program - we had a new baby and participated heavily, probably >90% of our groceries came by direct delivery over a 6 month period. I think they charged $10 per order, but frequently ran specials for free or much reduced delivery fees. Their minimum order was $50, but we tried to keep our minimum closer to $200 to cut down on the delivery fee percentage. They drove a refrigerated truck direct from the distribution center (200 miles away) to our neighborhood and brought the groceries into the house. I wish that program were still running, it really could enable some people to get rid of their car. Groceries are the essentials of life - not books, DVDs, electronic gadgets, etc. Amazon Prime Pantry does deliver some groceries to most of the US, but not enough to really live off of. They also have a couple of trial markets for full grocery delivery, but less than 1% of the US population is served by those.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:06PM
Here where I live, Safeway, Sprouts, and I think King Soopers all offer home delivery of food.
Sprouts promises a 1 hour delivery time I believe.