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.