Amazon’s Primary Care Expansion Has Hit a Potential Roadblock

Amazon may have billions to invest in its plans to reshape health care, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be significant bumps in the road. The latest potential roadblock, the company’s $3.5 billion takeover of primary care provider One Medical is facing scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

In addition, the FTC is preparing a possible lawsuit against Amazon.com Inc. that could be filed as early as this spring, according to reports from Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal. Details about the allegations are in flux but the reports add that the FTC has been investigating the e-commerce giant’s retail business for several years.

Meanwhile, a Seeking Alpha report recently noted that the FTC has hired outside economists to review Amazon’s One Medical purchase over alleged anticompetitive practices.

Whether a lawsuit is filed or whether the One Medical purchase could be blocked remains to be seen, but the regulatory scrutiny comes at a time when Amazon and some of its largest competitors have been investing billions to expand their health care operations through mergers and acquisitions.