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The BulleTin • Sunday, March 21, 2021 C3 Amazon jumps into health care via telehealth DEAR ABBY Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069 BY MATTHEW BARAKAT The Associated Press Dear Abby: I’m a 65-year- old woman with a younger brother who is 63 and physi- cally, mentally and emotionally disabled. He’s deaf, reads at a fourth-grade level and can do math only at a second-grade level. He has paranoia, and because of that, he can’t work with other people. He receives disability payments, but they are only a small amount of money. My husband and I have had successful careers and are comfortable financially. For many years, we have helped my brother by paying some of his bills, but my retirement next year will make this harder to do. How much do I owe this sibling? If he can’t afford to stay in his apartment, he would wind up living with us or homeless. — Fearing the Future Dear Fearing: You are a wonderful sister. I am sorry your parents didn’t provide for what might happen to their son after their deaths. Start doing some research and explore what all of the op- tions may be. Go online and look for “services for the dis- abled.” Contact the depart- ment of mental health in your state and inquire about what options are available for your mentally ill sibling. Follow it up by scheduling an appointment with a social worker. You can find one by contacting your county department of mental health or a local hospital be- cause there’s usually at least one on staff. If your brother can possibly live independently without your financial support, it might be the better option for all of you. Dear Abby: I am so frus- trated with my husband that I’m considering divorce once the quarantine is over. We don’t see things the same at all. Maybe it’s because we’re tired of being around each other be- cause of the pandemic, but this has been a really tough time. Everything I say gets him up- set. Part of the problem may be his job. He is very unhappy with it, and he walks around the house upset all day, every day. I try to give him space, but if I ask him to do something, he gets upset. I asked him a couple of times to cut the grass. He told me to ask him something once and then let it go, which I usually do, but it had grown 3 to 5 feet high. I think I’m a patient per- son, but he said I talk to him like a boss giving him orders. I made it clear I never demand anything from him, I always ask, but that doesn’t matter to him. He doesn’t like the way I ask. It seems like he gets upset whenever I’m around. I continue taking things one day at a time, but right now, I’m very unhappy in this marriage. If I could rewind the hands of time, I would have never mar- ried him. I don’t know how to handle this. He doesn’t want to be around me unless we are having sex. Abby? — Miserable in Maryland Dear Miserable: Many cou- ples have become stressed to the max during the last year. I hope you and your husband can find a way to give each other the benefit of the doubt before deciding whether to call it quits. There will be plenty of time to consider divorce later. The two of you are overdue for a serious, civilized discussion about how to keep the level of tension down in the meantime. That said, I do not think you should be having sex with him under these circumstances. Certainly not until he cuts the grass or finds another job he enjoys. YOUR HOROSCOPE By Madalyn Aslan Stars show the kind of day you’ll have DYNAMIC | POSITIVE | AVERAGE | SO-SO | DIFFICULT HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2021: Innovative, enterprising and active, move forward with plans that have been on the back burner. This year, you will seek out new beginnings, from starting a side business to rearranging your living situation. Visualize your goals, then do everything you can to make them happen. If single, you may have to make the first move. If attached, listen more to what your partner has to say. AQUARIUS makes you socialize. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Today brings an appreciation of your home environment. You might need to rearrange furniture or adjust the lighting. Feng shui tips might help. Start building your family tree. Contact relatives you have not seen since childhood. Tonight: Delicious family dinner. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Grab a few hours to yourself. Make a journal entry, practice an instru- ment, or just meditate. Follow through on a planned family outing. A bicycle ride, scenic drive or hike will please everyone. Tonight: Take time for some problem-solving. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Pay attention to finances, but don’t obsess for long. Stick to a budget that suits you. Shop with friends, but watch your impulses. Buy what you need and admire the rest. Join an amateur choir or singing group. Tonight: Feeling satisfied. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Today feels like you can conquer the world. Set down your intentions and visualize how to make them happen. Create a plan B in case of a detour. Invite your closest friends to a gathering. Tonight: Childhood memories come alive. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Give yourself permission to sleep in. Write down your dreams if you remember them. Keep a pad or notebook by your bed and research what they may mean. Insights are priceless and will answer your questions. Tonight: Binge a funny series. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Chat with friends about groups you can attend together. A yoga, Pilates or dance class will get your body moving. Join a book club that speaks to your diverse interests. Suggest a title and lead a session. Tonight: Winding down. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Take advantage of new opportunities. Update your resume and upgrade your skills. A family member could help with new technology. Be wary of false leads that go nowhere. Make time for a cause you are passionate about. Tonight: Laughing out loud. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Revisit a desire to learn a foreign language or study an obscure subject. A class opening may finally materialize. Do a bit of quick research to see if you can fit it into your busy schedule. Tonight: Catch up on reading. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today, do something physical like running, bicycling or martial arts. Release tension. Stop overthinking and analyzing. Take a few deep breaths and smell the roses. Get a massage to knead the knots and ease physical stress. To- night: Create new memories. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Expect the unexpected. Someone might contact you from out of the blue. It might cause you to revive an old friendship or revisit one that ended bad- ly. This is your chance to make things right. Tonight: Feeling good about yourself. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Pamper yourself with a relaxing bath and sweet-smelling salts. Family may make demands on your time. Delegate chores and responsibilities. If you are overruled, stand your ground. Promise a reward that you can stick to. Tonight: Plan your workout schedule. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Prior commitments cut into time with children or grandchildren. No need to panic. You’re a wiz at organizing when the crunch is on. Follow up on a romantic proposal. Give someone you love lots of attention. Tonight: Review notes for tomorrow. Amazon is making its first foray into providing health care services, announcing Wednesday that it will be of- fering its Amazon Care tele- medicine program to employ- ers nationwide. Currently available to the company’s employees in Washington state, Amazon Care is an app that connects users virtually with doctors, nurse practitioners and nurses who can provide services and treatment over the phone 24 hours per day. In the Seattle area, it’s supplemented with in-person services such as pharmacy delivery and house- call services from nurses who can take blood work and pro- vide similar services. On Wednesday, the tech gi- ant announced it will imme- diately expand the service to interested employers in Wash- ington who want to purchase the service for their employ- ees. By the summer, Amazon Care will expand nationally to all Amazon workers, and to private employers across the country who want to join. In the Baltimore, Washing- ton, D.C., and northern Vir- ginia market, where Amazon is building a second head- quarters that will house more than 25,000 workers, Amazon Care will include the in-per- son services that are currently limited to Seattle. “Making this available to NBBJ/Amazon This rendering shows the next phase of the Amazon headquarters redevelopment to be built in Arlington, Virginia. The plans, released Feb. 2, feature a 350-foot helix-shaped office tower that can be climbed from the outside like a mountain hike. other employers is a big step,” said Amazon Care Director Kristen Helton in a phone in- terview. “It’s an opportunity for other forward-thinking employers to offer a service that helps bring high-quality care, convenience and peace of mind.” Amazon launched the ser- vice 18 months ago for its Washington state employees. Helton said users have given it superior reviews, and busi- ness customers were inquir- ing about being able to buy into the service for their own workers. Helton said the product is designed to be a supplement or an additional benefit to ex- isting coverage provided by an employer. Consumer demand for tele- medicine and virtual health care has exploded during the pandemic. Stephen Morgan, a medical professor at Virginia Tech and chief medical infor- mation officer at the Carilion Clinic in southwest Virginia, said virtual visits increased there from about 100 a month before the pandemic to about 800 a day within a two-week span. He said research has shown that telemedicine can provide quality on par with traditional in-person care, all while mak- ing services available to peo- ple who otherwise might not be able to get them or would have to travel great distances to do so. But he said it’s critical that providers build in checks and balances to ensure that quality does not suffer. “It is a concern that anyone who wants to do telemedicine, Amazon included, puts those checks and balances in place,” he said. Helton said that when us- ers log in to the Amazon Care app, they are asked a couple of questions that serve to tri- age the call, and route it to a nurse, nurse practitioner or physician as appropriate. She said it usually takes 60 sec- onds or less to connect to a health professional. The health care providers are supplied by Care Medical, a contractor that works with Amazon on an exclusive con- tract. While Amazon has launched initiatives in the health field such as Amazon Pharmacy and Amazon Halo, a wristband that measures vital statistics, Amazon Care will be the tech giant’s first foray into providing health care services beyond its own workforce, Helton said.
