Posted on 08/12/2014 10:32:39 PM PDT by Between the Lines
Sumter - Gov. Nikki Haley and two high profile health care advisors boarded a private plane to Bentonville, Ark., more than a year ago for a closed-door meeting with Wal-Mart executives. They hoped to convince the largest retailer in the country to launch a new primary care strategy in South Carolina.
"We told Wal-Mart, 'We think this is perfect,'" said Tony Keck, director of the state Medicaid agency, who attended the meeting.
It seems Wal-Mart agreed. On Thursday, the company opened its fourth and fifth "Care Clinics" in Sumter and Florence.
The first three clinics, staffed by licensed nurse practitioners, are already up and running in Texas.
Although most stores have long included low-cost pharmacies, these five sites represent the company's first foray into primary care.
Wal-Mart has not announced where it will expand the model beyond the two pilot states.
"For our associates and dependents on the health plan, you can come and see a provider in the Wal-Mart Care Clinic for $4. Four dollars! That is setting a new retail price in the health care industry," said Jennifer LaPerre, senior director for the company's health and wellness program, during the Sumter clinic's grand opening Thursday.
Wal-Mart has long drawn criticism for the health care benefits it offers its low-income employees. A May report published by the Americans for Tax Fairness estimates Wal-Mart's 1.4 million workers rely on $6.2 billion worth of public assistance programs every year, including food stamps and Medicaid. The new Care Clinics are open for both employees and customers, but employees will pay a fraction of the fees charged to the general public.
A spokeswoman for the company said she anticipates 1,200 Wal-Mart staff in Sumter and Florence will benefit from the new clinics.
Customers pay $40 for appointments and additional fees for lab work. The Care Clinics only accept fee-for-service Medicaid and Medicare plans. Privately insured patients pay the same amount for services as uninsured patients.
Advocates for the new model call it cutting edge. They say the Care Clinics increase access to the health system by putting providers right in the front of Wal-Mart stores where thousands of people pass by every day. Many of those shoppers live on middle-to-low incomes and need help managing chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension. Meanwhile, critics worry that the seen-as-you-need-to-be-seen clinics may undermine traditional doctor-patient relationships.
"That's not a medical home," said Shelli Quenga, programs director for the nonprofit Palmetto Project. "So how do we say, 'It's OK to go to this place for intermediate care, but you need somebody who knows you?'"
Both South Carolina sites were strategically chosen because many of the state's sickest, low-income residents live there.
"I think this is good news and bad news," said Sumter Mayor Joe McElveen. "The bad news is, I guess, the two are being opened in Florence and Sumter because we have lots of people who need service. The good news is that it is affordable."
Keck said South Carolina's significant physician shortage demands new solutions and leaves no room for detractors to complain.
"We have to have every access point possible in the system," he said. "We should be happy about it."
Bernadette Simmons, an assistant manager at the Sumter Wal-Mart, does not have health insurance through the company - she's been employed there since May - but she only paid $36 for a visit and lab work during her first appointment at the new clinic on Thursday.
"You cannot beat that," the 45-year-old said. She had some pain in her feet and her knee that she wanted checked out, and the nurse determined that her blood pressure was "borderline." An outpatient practice in town would have charged her $86 for the visit alone, she said.
"This (clinic) is needed in the community because everyone doesn't have insurance and really can't afford to go to the doctor because of the expense," Simmons said. "It's been the talk. It's been buzzing. We're very excited."
Haley was not available to answer questions about the pilot program, but her spokesman Doug Mayer said in a statement that the clinics "won't just make us healthier but will help to drive down costs, and that's a win for every person in our state."
The Arkansas trip was not paid for by the state, Mayer said. Department of Health and Environmental Control Director Catherine Templeton also attended the meeting with Wal-Mart executives, he said.
The Chucky Cheese of health clinics.
Are all the doctors Chinese?
Two negative posts so far, is this a bad thing?
It seems good to me.
I’ve used Wal-Mart optometrist services with no complaints.
My only medical treatment is the VA, and I have learned to only use them when injured or a fever gets past my control, I would love to have a back up system available.
Walmart brought the cost of prescription drugs down when they came out with the $4 and $9 prescriptions. All the other drug stores had to match Walmart’s prices. Question is can they do the same for primary health care?
What’s the difference between this & CVS minute clinics. Same thing. If I get a sinus infection it’s great to go to these places & just pay $70 or whatever.
I found this in another article:
“”The Care Clinic concept, sort of a cross between CVS MinuteClinics and Doctors Care, is a new one for the company because the in-store clinics will be owned by Walmart, with staffing help from QuadMed. Nurse practitioners will provide wellness and preventive care such as screenings, vaccinations and lab tests; acute care, including diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses such as flu and strep throat; management of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure; and referrals to specialists, as needed.””
I have seen first hand what exceptional medical treatment their employees may access. Persons with particular very serious medical conditions have the opportunity to be sent to one of the most prestigious medical facilities in the country, perhaps the world and receive excellent care. Along with airfare and lodging. When I was seriously ill and receiving care at this facility, I met many of these families and was amazed by what WalMart provided for them.
Same here. I hope it does well in South Carolina.
Thanks. Seems very helpful for people who tend to shy away from hospitals.
I’m 73 and haven’t had a personal doctor or “PCP” since I was 27. There are many “Doc in the Box” walk-up places nearby and I have used a couple for minor injuries, etc. Much cheaper than going to a big hospital and paying high fees to cover their overhead costs. ...I have twice been advised in my walk-up to see a doc at a nearby hospital due to the nature of my problem. The people who work in the walk-ups are not quacks. ....I’ve never understood why the AMA and elite medicos trumpet the blather that everyone must have a “personal” relationship with their doctors.
We’ve had a health clinic in our Walmart for 10 years. It’s between a bank branch and the hair salon past the cash registers. It’s a clinic run by a top hospital system in our region, and I actually like the idea.
It’s better to have folks go there for checkups, tests, vaccines, etc., and to urgent care centers before they clog hospital emergency rooms and misuse emergency resources.
bmp
Yep, Walmart and the pharmacy chains are both promising providers of health care IMO.
They are not doctors they are nurse practitioners
Most of the time a nurse practitioner is all one needs, but then for serious illnesses, I would prefer a doctor.
If you know SC, then you would know Sumter and Florence are heavily black. That’s a fact, not a racist statement.
Well, a business provides it’s own health services , plus almost everything else... Monopoly, possibly, but also a private alternative to some other options out there.
Read the article. What doctor?
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