While millions of Americans are struggling with the cost of medical bills, drug prices, and healthcare in general, Houston residents might be able to find some help. And it’s coming from one of the most unlikely places—Walmart.
Walmart’s Shift in Healthcare Strategy
Walmart’s new “all in one” health centers are slowly being phased in as the company continues its expansion into the healthcare sector.
Houston Leading the Charge
Walmart aims to have 75 all-in-one centers in seven states by 2025 and is leading the charge in Houston.
Four Health Centers Opening in April
They’re opening four health centers in April and planning to open another four in the summer and fall.
75 Health Centers Across 7 States by 2025
Walmart previously announced that it would open 22 all-in-one centers in 2024 – 10 in Dallas and four around Kansas City. They’ve also got plans to open six in Arizona in 2025.
Comprehensive Services
Walmart hopes to offer something for everybody, with all-in-one centers slated to cover primary care, urgent care, and dental care.
They’ll also offer x-rays, labs, and mental and behavioral health services. These facilities will be staffed by doctors, nurses, and professional healthcare practitioners.
Transparent Pricing
One advantage Walmart hopes to have over hospitals is its transparent pricing strategy—an issue that has been a point of conflict in many hospitals across the nation.
Walmart’s Strategy to Differentiate from Hospitals
While the centers will accept most major insurance plans, they’ll also have out-of-pocket costs signposted.
What Are the Expected Costs?
An annual physical in Houston will cost $100 for adults and $70 for children; dental exams will cost $70, and walk-ins for illness and injury will cost $100.
Accessible Healthcare
All-in-one health centers will have private rooms for physical and dental visits, as well as a lab, rooms for healthcare providers to conduct dental procedures, and a dedicated space for mental health visits.
Patient Convenience
Some Houston branches will also have X-ray rooms, and Walmart will offer telehealth through its Virtual Care service.
Reduced Wait Times
According to a Walmart spokesperson, the centers are designed to reduce patients’ wait times. They claim that, on average, it will take patients less than 15 minutes to see a doctor.
Strategic Locations
According to Walmart’s own statistics, 90% of the population is located within 10 miles of a Walmart.
This is why they believe they’re strategically placed to offer healthcare, especially at locations with significant footfall.
Walmart’s Vision
They want to become American shoppers’ primary destination – in a sense, “owning” regular visits.
Extended Hours
Walmart states that it wants to create an accessible location for people to receive health care and is planning on having its stores open outside of regular work hours.
Convenient Access to Medications
Their locations allow patients to pick up their prescriptions immediately at a Walmart store after receiving them.
Dr. Carmouche on Walmart’s Strategy
“Even in a crowded place like Houston, where there are lots of health care choices, we don’t think anyone approaches primary preventive care exactly the way we do,” said Dr. Carmouche, senior VP of healthcare delivery at Walmart.
Expansion History
The first Walmart health center opened in 2019 in Georgia, and since then, the company has expanded operations to five states and has 48 health centers available.
Diversification of Services
Walmart already offers vision care and pharmacies in their stores, and has recently partnered up with Radiology firm RadNet to offer mammograms at specific locations nationwide.
Strategic Partnerships
They’re slowly building up more and more services as they make a play at becoming a retail healthcare giant.
Competitive Landscape
So far, Walmart’s efforts seem to be succeeding, while its competitors have invested in healthcare to achieve differing levels of success.
Amazon has begun expanding its doctor-run One Medical Clinics, and CVS has been investing heavily in medical care providers.
Driving Force Behind Retail Healthcare
It’s no secret why these companies want to get into healthcare – it offers big profits and promising growth.
However, getting started is tough, as there are many obstacles, and healthcare is complex and tricky to navigate.
Minor Players in a Major Game
Despite these investments in retail healthcare, a new report published by Modern Healthcare explained that Walmart and other companies are still minor players with a long way to go before they can claim to be up there with the big healthcare practitioners.
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The content of this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute or replace professional financial advice.
