Amazon, Berkshire And JPMorgan To Form Healthcare Company

In a move that might explain why Amazon has been quietly acquiring pharmacy licenses (not to mention hitting daily all-time highs) the e-commerce giant – along with Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan Chase & Co. – announced on Tuesday morning that they would partner to form a new health-care venture.

This 3-way partnership among Amazon, JPMorgan and Berkshire Hathaway on health care is the most interesting initiative out of corporate America I’ve seen in quite a while. https://t.co/18AVFnZ5PI.

— Erik Schatzker (@ErikSchatzker) January 30, 2018

In their release, the companies said they are working toward building an independent company focused on technology solutions “that will provide [their] US employees and their families with simplified, high-quality and transparent healthcare at a reasonable cost.” They will pursue this end through an independent company that would be free from profit-making and other constraints.

They cited the “ballooning costs of health care” as the inspiration for their decision.

Here’s more from the press release:

Tackling the enormous challenges of healthcare and harnessing its full benefits are among the greatest issues facing society today. By bringing together three of the world’s leading organizations into this new and innovative construct, the group hopes to draw on its combined capabilities and resources to take a fresh approach to these critical matters.

“The ballooning costs of healthcare act as a hungry tapeworm on the American economy. Our group does not come to this problem with answers. But we also do not accept it as inevitable. Rather, we share the belief that putting our collective resources behind the country’s best talent can, in time, check the rise in health costs while concurrently enhancing patient satisfaction and outcomes,” said Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO, Warren Buffett.

“The healthcare system is complex, and we enter into this challenge open-eyed about the degree of difficulty,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “Hard as it might be, reducing healthcare’s burden on the economy while improving outcomes for employees and their families would be worth the effort. Success is going to require talented experts, a beginner’s mind, and a long-term orientation.”

“Our people want transparency, knowledge and control when it comes to managing their healthcare,” said Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase. “The three of our companies have extraordinary resources, and our goal is to create solutions that benefit our U.S. employees, their families and, potentially, all Americans,” he added.