National Chains Expanding Patient Care Services in Stores
Walmart has quietly entered the health clinic space with the introduction of Walmart Health Care Clinics, operating in 3 states, as CVS works to expand its on-site patient care services.
Walmart has quietly entered the health clinic space with the introduction of Walmart Health Care Clinics, operating in 3 states.
According to the Care Clinic website, the services include primary care for basic illnesses and injuries, point-of-care lab tests, offsite analysis lab testing, immunizations, and wellness checks. An uninsured visit to the Care Clinics costs between $59 and $99 according to the website, though that does not include tests, immunizations, or other services.1
The costs of various tests and immunizations are also listed on the clinics' website, and range from $4 for a blood sugar test to $223.88 for an HPV immunization. All services are administered by a nurse practitioner or other licensed professional.1
"Our expanded scope of services enables us to be your primary medical provider," the website says.1
Notably, health and wellness sales increased steadily for Walmart during the first quarter of their 2019 fiscal year, thanks to branded drug inflation and growth in 90-day scripts.2
Walmart's expansion into the clinic space comes as several other chains seek to bring point-of-care offerings into the community. CVS plans to open 1,500 HealthHUB locations by the end of 2021, which will include their MinuteClinic offerings, as well as on-demand health kiosks that can measure blood pressure, weight, and BMI.3
Walgreens has also begun exploring ways to gain a foothold in the primary care clinic space, with a recent partnership with VillageMD in the Houston area. The 2 companies announced in April that they would be collaborating to provide primary care clinics next to 5 Walgreens stores, branded 'Village Medical at Walgreens.' According to the press release, VillageMD's patent-pending docOS system will help identify gaps in patients' health, allowing doctors and patients to get a full picture of their health needs.4
For now, Walmart Health Care Clinics are currently in 6 locations in Georgia, 5 locations in South Carolina, and 9 locations in Texas.
According to a recent report, should the pilots be successful, Walmart could expand the primary care offerings into its over 4500 locations.5
References
- Care Clinic. Walmart.com. https://www.walmart.com/cp/care-clinics/1224932.
- Financial Presentation to Company Management Transcript. Walmart Corporate. https://corporate.walmart.com/media-library/document/earnings-presentation-q1-fy19/_proxyDocument?id=00000163-6b1f-ded8-ab7f-7f7f6370000. Accessed September 11, 2019.
- CVS Health Announces Significant Expansion of HealthHUB to Deliver a Differentiated, Consumer Health Experience. CVS Health. https://cvshealth.com/thought-leadership-cvs-health-announces-significant-expansion-of-healthhub-to-deliver-a-differentiated-consumer-health-experience. Published June 4, 2019. Accessed September 11, 2019.
- Walgreens and VillageMD to Offer Primary Care Services in the Houson area | Business Wire. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190410005219/en/Walgreens-VillageMD-Offer-Primary-Care-Services-Houston. Published April 10, 2019.
- Hendrickson Z. Walmart is launching its first standalone primary care clinic. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-unveils-new-primary-care-clinic-2019-9. Published September 3, 2019. Accessed September 11, 2019.
