Week 1 Blog – Healthcare in WalMart & Target
With annual insurance premiums for families exceeding annual earnings at the federal minimum wage, health insurance is no longer affordable for an increasing number of people in America. Low-income employees working for large companies that offer insurance coverage often cannot afford their portion of insurance premiums. Even though these employees can’t afford insurance coverage, they (and their families) still have health care needs.
Retail clinics have opened in drugstores, grocery chains, and discount department store chains and they are attracting a great deal of attention from people who need medical care. These clinics are an attempt to respond to consumer needs for which the current health care system doesn’t offer reasonable options. Where do you go at night or weekend when you or your child has a sore throat or ear ache? Waiting for hours in the emergency room is what most of us would like to avoid, but for many it is the only choice. What about the choices faced by an uninsured person with too much income to qualify for discount care at a city clinic – be charged the full fare, or go to the ER, wait hours and still have a big bill. Even with patients with insurance and a doctor may wait several days to be seen for a minor ailment.
So the quick medical clinics are seen as option to meet consumer needs. A fast way to get medical care for a minor problem that is fast, relatively cheap, and convenient. But the clinics do not meet every health care need for all consumers. We are not talking about diabetics, cancer patients, or those suffering from heart disease. We are talking about sore throats, ear aches, colds, pink eye, female urinary tract infections, and seasonal allergies for a reasonable price of about $30 - $60
Why are these clinics placed in large pharmacies, discount department stores, and grocery stores? Because that is where the consumers are, shopping for next week groceries, a pair of shoes for the kids, or pack of band aids. It is convenient, low stress, and fast; AND you don’t have to fight with a receptionist for an appointment. One example is a lady with the sniffles went to do her shopping, stopped at a tiny clinic near the pharmacy, saw the nurse practitioner had her vital signs taken, given a prescription for sinus infection. It took 20 minutes and cost $59. Typically people that have great medical insurance and shop at Neiman Marcus don’t need to stop at a quick medical clinic. Their insurance will pay for their medical bills. But those that shop at discount stores are the ones that usually don’t have great insurance, short on money, and time. They still need medical care, so why not get it at a place that is fast and reasonable in cost?
www.chcf.org Health Care in the Express Lane: The Emergence of Retail Clinics
www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2006-08-24-walk-in-clinic-usat_x.htm
Could walk-in retail clinics help slow rising health costs?
www.post-gazette.com Retail health clinics planned for region
Group 1
Michelle AuWith annual insurance premiums for families exceeding annual earnings at the federal minimum wage, health insurance is no longer affordable for an increasing number of people in America. Low-income employees working for large companies that offer insurance coverage often cannot afford their portion of insurance premiums. Even though these employees can’t afford insurance coverage, they (and their families) still have health care needs.
Retail clinics have opened in drugstores, grocery chains, and discount department store chains and they are attracting a great deal of attention from people who need medical care. These clinics are an attempt to respond to consumer needs for which the current health care system doesn’t offer reasonable options. Where do you go at night or weekend when you or your child has a sore throat or ear ache? Waiting for hours in the emergency room is what most of us would like to avoid, but for many it is the only choice. What about the choices faced by an uninsured person with too much income to qualify for discount care at a city clinic – be charged the full fare, or go to the ER, wait hours and still have a big bill. Even with patients with insurance and a doctor may wait several days to be seen for a minor ailment.
So the quick medical clinics are seen as option to meet consumer needs. A fast way to get medical care for a minor problem that is fast, relatively cheap, and convenient. But the clinics do not meet every health care need for all consumers. We are not talking about diabetics, cancer patients, or those suffering from heart disease. We are talking about sore throats, ear aches, colds, pink eye, female urinary tract infections, and seasonal allergies for a reasonable price of about $30 - $60
Why are these clinics placed in large pharmacies, discount department stores, and grocery stores? Because that is where the consumers are, shopping for next week groceries, a pair of shoes for the kids, or pack of band aids. It is convenient, low stress, and fast; AND you don’t have to fight with a receptionist for an appointment. One example is a lady with the sniffles went to do her shopping, stopped at a tiny clinic near the pharmacy, saw the nurse practitioner had her vital signs taken, given a prescription for sinus infection. It took 20 minutes and cost $59. Typically people that have great medical insurance and shop at Neiman Marcus don’t need to stop at a quick medical clinic. Their insurance will pay for their medical bills. But those that shop at discount stores are the ones that usually don’t have great insurance, short on money, and time. They still need medical care, so why not get it at a place that is fast and reasonable in cost?
www.chcf.org Health Care in the Express Lane: The Emergence of Retail Clinics
www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2006-08-24-walk-in-clinic-usat_x.htm
Could walk-in retail clinics help slow rising health costs?
www.post-gazette.com Retail health clinics planned for region
Group 1
Sara Ca
Janet Co
Kari Fl
Diane Fu
Shakeitha He
posted by Retailing in Healthcare @ 12:27 PM
8 comments
8 Comments:
I am curious -- you write that someone with great health insurance probably wouldn't use the retail clinics because their insurance pays for everything. Does great insurance coverage mean full access to care?
If a child gets an earache at 9AM in the morning, and you cannot get an appointment with your doctor -- what do you do? Sit in the emergency department for the rest of the day? One of the developers of retail clinics actually got his inspiration from sitting for a full day in an emergency room with a sick child. What a waste of time and money --he thought.
Consumers desire convenience in every other aspect of their lives, why not healthcare. Wait time in a physician’s office for minor aches and pains will become a thing of the past. I believe retail clinics are good for the healthcare system in many ways. Some clinics in large retail stores such as Walmart offer pagers so if there is a short wait in the clinic, people can get their shopping done. Large retail stores offer a wide variety of hours when typically physician offices are closed. Convenient hours make retail clinics extremely attractive to consumers because otherwise they would have a significantly longer wait time in an emergency room. The savings that will occur in retail health care clinics are attractive to consumers as well as insurance companies. MinuteClinic, a chain of 73 retail health clinics across nine states, has established a single price per visit at $49 or $59 depending on the state. A large employee benefits company named Cigna believes retail clinics will help control costs while increasing productivity for businesses because people will not have to take off work to take care of their healthcare needs. According to an article in Managed Care Magazine, Cigna has recently decided to provide retail health clinic services for its entire clientele.
Reference:
Retail Medical Clinics Draw Patients and Payers. Managed Care Magazine
http://www.managedcaremag.com/archives/0606/0606.minuteclinic.html
So what are the differences between outpatient clinics and retail clinics? Currently, Hospital emergency rooms are the only entities -I believe- that cannot turn patients away. Will retail clinics really draw volume away from our overcrowded ED's?
--Arthur St
Agreeing with group one I would just like to expand on some of what they said, and add a few more facts on what I found. Retail health clinics are all based on the model: fast, affordable, and convenient. When comparing retail clinics with traditional practices, clinic patients have a minimal wait time and most services are provided for a $49 flat fee(Duff, 2006). This is what draws many people, with or without health insurance, to the idea of these clinics. Another benefit for the stores with these clinics is their likelihood of increasing pharmacy and over-the-counter medicine purchases as well as sales in other departments(Duff,2006). This idea encompasses one stop shopping; for example, a person can go to Target or Wal-Mart to see a health care professional, pick up their prescription, shop for groceries, and get other needed necessities. This type of one stop shopping not only benefits the consumer, but it benefits all departments of the retail store. The retail clinic is very appealing to those without health insurance or low insurance coverage because of its affordability and its shorter waiting time than in the ER. But those with health insurance can also benefit from the clinic. MedXpress is already negotiating with insurance companies to become a preferred provider of designated health services(Duff,2006). Even with health insurance, most people with a minor ailment would prefer to go to a retail clinic rather than waiting in the emergency room for six hours or more. As of now, the benefits of retail clinics are endless for both the uninsured and insured patients. Hopefully as more of these clinics are put into stores their benefits will continue to expand and help those patients who need it.
Reference:
Duff, Mike. In-store clinics stand to revolutionize retail--not to mention health care. DSN Retailing Today; 9/25/2006, Vol. 45 Issue 17, p1-29, 2p
This is a very interactive blog. Impressive postings.
In regards to insurance affecting access, it is true that great insurance doesn't necessarily guarantee access. For instance, it doesn't always mean that a patient will be able to get an appointment for a sudden illness; however, if an appointment is possible, these patients would not be shopping for prices.
Essentially, retail healthcare has several different "selling" factors. First, costs are less. Due to the setting and the overhead costs, retail clinics are able to provide services for less. Second, appointments are not necessary and usually provided on a walk in basis. Someone without insurance will benefit from the first factor, but even someone with great insurance could benefit from the second. For some people this will be a way to receive less expensive care, but for some it will just be a way to receive more immediate care.
This innovative concept of healthcare is truly promising. Not only will these clinics increase accessibility and affordability of healthcare which has been an ongoing problem since pre-industrial times, but retail clinics are projected to save money in different areas of health care. With much of the attention of chronic care, retail clinics have tackled the problems within acute care.
According to an article in USA Today, these retail clinics will show significant savings in emergency room hospitals and insurance companies. These retail clinics have offered patients an exception to visiting the emergency room. Emergency rooms are five times more expensive to visit than the retail clinics (Schmit, Julie). Keeping patients out of the emergency room is imperative to lower healthcare costs. Also, the price of visiting the doctor verses the retail clinic in some cases is cheaper. Twin City Pipe Trades, and insurance company, reports a thirty percent decrease in costs when using the retail clinic (Schmit, Julie).
With the threat of malpractice down due to the relatively minor ailments the retail clinic treats, consumer reaction to these clinics has been predictably favorable. As well, the initial release of retail clinics have been seem as encouraging within public eye. These clinics boast exceptional consumer satisfaction; these retail clinics have yet to receive complaints in the past five years (Schmit, Julie).
All of these positive influences are prompting physicians to compete. The American Academy of Family Physicians recently encourages 94,000 doctors to expand office hours and same-day appointments (Schmit, Julie). Retail clinics are sparking improvements throughout acute care industry which go beyond the scope of retail clinics.
It is exciting to see this ground-breaking idea materialize. The possibilities of this development have vast implications. As you stated before retail clinics are helping to improve access and convenience, but retail clinics are also projecting to slow the rising health care costs.
Reference:
Schmit, Julie. USA Today. Could walk-in retail clinics help slow the rising health cost? retrieved on October 24, 2006 from http://usatoday.com
“Healthcare in Wal-Mart and Target”
Having a convenient, fast and inexpensive health care facility in a very accessible location is the most thoughtful and considerate thing to happen to healthcare in a very long time. As a parent of three children I understand the burden that can be placed on a family when a child is sick with a minor ailment. It can be very frustrating and time consuming. On the flip side of this coin I must also state the importance of quality care with medical professionals that are trained well to deal with healthcare needs. There will be instances where a patient will think that their ailment is minor and this may not be the case. Wal-Mart is popular for its cost saving measures…but this is not an instance where cost savings can or should take a back seat to quality. Edward Hill, president of the American Medical Association states that “serious illness sometimes present with simple symptoms.” Imagine a middle aged man or woman that may present with a cough that he/she thinks is a cold or the flu. I pray that the healthcare professional will look at all of the angles in order to assess the patient while not dealing with time constraints of an assembly line. This patient may actually have lung cancer or COPD…who knows?? (Who am I kidding this can also happen in the emergency room or in the “real” doctors office!) My concern is convenient, fast and inexpensive health care.
Reference:
www.post-gazette.com
Wall Street Journal
Jane Spencer
October 5, 2005
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