Amazon will offer a low-cost version of its Prime membership program to qualifying recipients of Medicaid. The program will trim the cost of Prime down from $10.99 per month to $5.99 per month, while still offering the full range of Prime perks.
The new program expands on the discounted Prime service for customers on government assistance that was 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 Electronic Benefits Transfer (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).
The Medicaid expansion is notable given Amazon’s recent entrance into the health care market. The company has already obtained pharmacy licenses in select states, but Amazon has told regulators it will use them to sell medical devices and supplies instead.
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Approximately half of Medicaid recipients are children under the age of 19, while disabled individuals and adults over the age of 65 make up the bulk of the remaining enrollees, according to the Population Reference Bureau. It’s unclear how many EBT cardholders are already taking advantage of Prime.
Those who want to qualify for the discount will be asked to apply and upload a photo of their Medicaid card. Eligible shoppers need to reapply once a year and are eligible for up to four years.
