Wal-mart: Always Low Prices, now with Medical Care

For those who have little time during the busy day, or contract a mystery illness in aisle five, there’s good news! According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, major retail chains such as Wal-mart, CVS Pharmacy, and Target have begun to open in-store clinics. Jane Spencer’s article “Getting your health care at Wal-mart” article in the Wal-street journal provides insight into this new trend: These clinics are walk-in, range from about $25 and $60 a visit, and can offer services such as physicals and flu shots. The clinics are not staffed by doctors. Rather, they are run by nurse practitioners, who are able to legally treat patients and write prescriptions in most states. But the move is drawing sharp criticism from the American Medical Association. “Serious illnesses sometimes present with simple symptoms,” states AMA president Edward Hill. “A cough might be something as simple as a cold, or something as serious as congestive heart failure. The ability to ferret out the 20 percent of serious illnesses that present with simple symptoms is what we went to medical school for.” There is also a probability that business could be taken from private practices, as consumers turn to the cheap and quick fix. MinuteClinic and Take Care are two of the clinics that have set up inside the major chains. They are limited to around 30 basic services and diagnoses, and can act as a doorway into primary care, by working with local physicians in order to direct patients to where they need to go for more advanced care. Because of their stock in cheaper basic healthcare, some insurance companies have offered lower or eliminated co-pays for people who agree to use a MinuteClinic instead of a doctor. To see how far this could possibly go, one can look at other highly successful services that have appeared in the stores of major-chains over the years. Even here in Plymouth, the Wal-mart offers an eye doctor, a salon, a pharmacy, a photo development area, and a SubWay. Other, larger Wal-marts offer even more. One day in the future, perhaps a coughing mass of students will take the shuttle every weekend to Wal-mart: always low prices, always healthy. For more information visit the Wal-mart website http://www.walmartstores.com , and Jane Spencer’s report on the subject, http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/1005wsj-retailers-health05-ON.html.)