Amazon extends Prime benefits to Medicaid members for $6/month

Amazon is updating its program for lower-income families to receive Prime benefits at a discount. Starting last year, Amazon gave families receiving EBT from the government the ability to use Prime for $5.99/month. This was down from the – at the time – $10.99/month normal Prime cost, which has since been raised to $12.99/month.

Now, Amazon is extending this discount beyond just EBT receivers and now includes Medicaid subscribers. If you’re a member of Medicaid and hold a current card, you will now be able to receive full Prime benefits for just $5.99/month, saving you $7 every month.

Amazon Prime is a fantastic program, I seriously couldn’t imagine not having it. The price can be kinda steep for those who are lower-income, or receive government assistance, however. Current Amazon pricing is $8.99/month for only Prime video, $12.99/month for full Prime (which gives you Prime Video, shipping, music, and more), or $99/year if you want to pay up front for Prime and save.

Now, to some, that’s a lot. $99/year just to get free shipping and movies is sometimes hard to swing. That’s why Amazon is lowering the price for EBT and Medicaid subscribers. Generally speaking, those who have EBT or Medicaid will shop in local grocers or stores in order to use their benefits.

Obviously, Amazon would rather people spend money with itself over competitors, so this move only makes sense. Also, just a few days ago, it was said that Amazon initiated talks with JP Morgan Chase about the potential of offering some form of a checking account.

This means that Amazon is trying to get into just about every area of our lives, regardless of whether we have a high- or low-income. The once online-only shopping giant recently launched a few physical retail stores to combat people shopping at normal stores as well.

One of Amazon’s largest competitors is Walmart, and it’s very evident that this is a ploy to try to steal shoppers from the retail behemoth.

Amazon is including Prime shipping on over 50,000,000 items, Prime Video, Music, and Prime Family benefits with this discounted price for EBT and Medicaid subscribers. If you live in a place that offers it, Prime Now is also included with this membership tier. You receive full Prime benefits for $5.99/month when you’re a Medicaid or EBT member, so it’s really a no-brainer.

For more information about Amazon’s latest program, you can head on over to the landing page here.

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