In-store clinics compete with the doctor and hospital
#1
06-10-2007, 10:02 AM
In-store clinics compete with the doctor and hospital
In-store clinics at Walmart and CVS are now competing with the
doctor and hospital high cost of health ....
excluding insurance means that if one has NO insurance, the tab is much much
more at the traditional stops. are these new clinics competing based on just
the "Co-payments"? that'd be a WOWWW !
A routine doctore visit costs $40 to $65, excluding insurance. That is less than a similar visit to a primary-care physician, which could run between $80 and $110, excluding insurance, while an emergency room visit could be at least $250, said Alicia Ledlie, senior director of Wal-Mart's health business development.
After a pilot program, Wal-Mart Stores (WMT, news, msgs) has announced plans to open as many as 400 in-store health clinics in the next two to three years. That number could jump to 2,000 in five to seven years if current conditions persist.
In a few years, it could be just as common for a Wal-Mart shopper to head to the retailer for an allergy shot or a strep-throat test as it is to swing by for food or clothes.
Wal-Mart is not the only retailer pursuing clinics.
CVS/Caremark (CVS, news, msgs) is adding hundreds of Minute Clinic locations this year, and Walgreen (WAG, news, msgs) has said it plans to have 250 health clinics operating in its drugstores by the end of August.
Standard & Poor's equity analyst Joseph Agnese said he favors having the clinics in drugstores because a Wal-Mart supercenter may be difficult to get to or be surrounded by a sprawling parking lot. "If you are sick, you are going to choose the most convenient location," he said.
doctor and hospital high cost of health ....
excluding insurance means that if one has NO insurance, the tab is much much
more at the traditional stops. are these new clinics competing based on just
the "Co-payments"? that'd be a WOWWW !
A routine doctore visit costs $40 to $65, excluding insurance. That is less than a similar visit to a primary-care physician, which could run between $80 and $110, excluding insurance, while an emergency room visit could be at least $250, said Alicia Ledlie, senior director of Wal-Mart's health business development.
After a pilot program, Wal-Mart Stores (WMT, news, msgs) has announced plans to open as many as 400 in-store health clinics in the next two to three years. That number could jump to 2,000 in five to seven years if current conditions persist.
In a few years, it could be just as common for a Wal-Mart shopper to head to the retailer for an allergy shot or a strep-throat test as it is to swing by for food or clothes.
Wal-Mart is not the only retailer pursuing clinics.
CVS/Caremark (CVS, news, msgs) is adding hundreds of Minute Clinic locations this year, and Walgreen (WAG, news, msgs) has said it plans to have 250 health clinics operating in its drugstores by the end of August.
Standard & Poor's equity analyst Joseph Agnese said he favors having the clinics in drugstores because a Wal-Mart supercenter may be difficult to get to or be surrounded by a sprawling parking lot. "If you are sick, you are going to choose the most convenient location," he said.
#2
06-10-2007, 04:36 PM
RE: In-store clinics compete with the doctor and hospital
The ones in Texas charge nominal prices for walkin's They are not for everyone but are very sucessfull for occasional office visits and emergencies.
We used to all go to the emergency rooms at local hospitals if an emergency of any kind occurred and if the nurses could handle it you got out the door for a few bucks.
No longer. You now walk through that emergency room door and your faced with a $150.00 charge before you even get the paper work completed.
You better have some form of insurance.
These clinics are great. They take the load off the Doctors who you have to wait a week to see. I have a daughter who is now normally staying an extra two hours a day at the two clinics she is associated with just to try to help reduce some of the "back-log."
Wall-marts a good idea, but I never expect these walk-ins to replace your normal family G.P.
The best thing going for medicine today is the trust between Doctor and patient that is built up over years.
We used to all go to the emergency rooms at local hospitals if an emergency of any kind occurred and if the nurses could handle it you got out the door for a few bucks.
No longer. You now walk through that emergency room door and your faced with a $150.00 charge before you even get the paper work completed.
You better have some form of insurance.
These clinics are great. They take the load off the Doctors who you have to wait a week to see. I have a daughter who is now normally staying an extra two hours a day at the two clinics she is associated with just to try to help reduce some of the "back-log."
Wall-marts a good idea, but I never expect these walk-ins to replace your normal family G.P.
The best thing going for medicine today is the trust between Doctor and patient that is built up over years.
#3
06-10-2007, 06:02 PM
RE: In-store clinics compete with the doctor and hospital
my kid got hit on the head in a compettion sparring, next day he vomitted.
took him to urgent care who suggested we go to the ER instead.
the bill for the ER? $1,200 not including the MRI scan and observation.
total of 3 hrs in ER at $4,300. "family peditrician" not avail for two days.
diag: minor concussion, helmet provided by academy was lacking proper fit
and protection. his new high tech helmet just arrived, he is ready to go again.
people with lesser means or no insurance are to do what?
run to the ER where medical treatment cannot be refused and
is billed to ? ? ? millions of illegal aliens are running the
system to the ground.. family health ins is at around $500 / mo
here - not in their budget..
hospitals ER's are closing everywhere around us ...
the best system in the world?
maybe for medicare eldery, but not for the young crowd
competiting with the non-paying crowd.
IMO, it is broken.
i suspect that the CVS and Walmart clinics are "you cant pay,
go elsewhere" .. no?
IMO, ER's should all be that way unless you come in ambulance
AND on life support. otherwise, go the county hospital, NOT ER.
.
took him to urgent care who suggested we go to the ER instead.
the bill for the ER? $1,200 not including the MRI scan and observation.
total of 3 hrs in ER at $4,300. "family peditrician" not avail for two days.
diag: minor concussion, helmet provided by academy was lacking proper fit
and protection. his new high tech helmet just arrived, he is ready to go again.
people with lesser means or no insurance are to do what?
run to the ER where medical treatment cannot be refused and
is billed to ? ? ? millions of illegal aliens are running the
system to the ground.. family health ins is at around $500 / mo
here - not in their budget..
hospitals ER's are closing everywhere around us ...
the best system in the world?
maybe for medicare eldery, but not for the young crowd
competiting with the non-paying crowd.
IMO, it is broken.
i suspect that the CVS and Walmart clinics are "you cant pay,
go elsewhere" .. no?
IMO, ER's should all be that way unless you come in ambulance
AND on life support. otherwise, go the county hospital, NOT ER.
.
#4
06-11-2007, 06:04 PM
RE: In-store clinics compete with the doctor and hospital
Not sure about California but at every hospital I have seen regardless of pre set up appointment or not, you enter through the ER doors. That's where you will find all the admitting offices.
The clinics my daughter runs are both Oakland Hayward county run, and accept any one coming through the door. Money, insurance or indigent. English speaking or any other language on earth. All are accepted.
She has regular patients that only spoke spanish ten years ago and still speak spanish only today.
She advised patients who regularly wore turbans to change their headgear after 911. (and they have,)
The clinics my daughter runs are both Oakland Hayward county run, and accept any one coming through the door. Money, insurance or indigent. English speaking or any other language on earth. All are accepted.
She has regular patients that only spoke spanish ten years ago and still speak spanish only today.
She advised patients who regularly wore turbans to change their headgear after 911. (and they have,)
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