Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Tampa Bay news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Charlotte news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Amazon Alexa Plus, on display. Photo: Grant Hindsley/AFP/Getty Images
Amazon's Alexa has now added some new functionalities that comply with HIPAA, the health care privacy law.
Why it matters: These applications themselves aren't particularly earth-shattering, but each new step Amazon takes into the health care system is worth paying attention to, given the company's very clear desire to break into health, and particularly the pharmacy supply chain.
Details: One application, a partnership with Express Scripts, allows users to check the status of prescription refills. Others will let people ask about their last blood-sugar reading, or help them find an urgent care center nearby.
- Just getting over the hump of HIPAA compliance is a big deal for Alexa.
Go deeper: Amazon's buyout of PillPack is just a start