Healthcare and Wal-Mart

May 2, 2008

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I’ve always thought that Nationalized Healthcare, in any form, is a truly bad idea. It will greatly limit availability, quality of care, and do nothing to limit costs. It’s just that we won’t feel the costs directly, since they’ll come out of our taxes, preferably the other guy’s taxes, right?

One possible solution to rising healtchcare costs might be to have a lot of basic care clinics. These would be the places to go for all the minor ailments that trouble us. The hospitals would handle the more serious problems. The basic clinics could be staffedby nurses and/or medical interns and provide first-aid treatment, basic medical advice, care for those basic illnesses we all get, and so on.

Have a heart problem? They’d send you to the nearest hospital.

Wal-Mart seems to be doing just that, as I’m sure a lot of you know. Sarah pointed me to the article:  20 Surprising Ways Wal-Mart Clinics Will Affect US Healthcare, which covers this topic quite nicely.Here’s a clip:

Big-box behemoth Wal-Mart has ventured into the healthcare realm, offering low-cost, walk-in clinics in more and more of its stores every day. Although Wal-Mart medicine may not sound like a great idea at first, these clinics can bring good changes to the health care industry, like insurance-free care, eased emergency rooms, and more widespread treatments. Of course, the plan is not without its drawbacks, creating a “Wal-Mart effect” on small practitioners, as well as a race to the bottom. Here, we’ll take a good look at some of the implications you might not have thought about.

1. More immunizations: With immunizations available at Wal-Mart, they’re much more convenient for those that may not have time to go to the doctor. As a result, more people will be immunized, and the risk of contagious disease will be lowered.
2. Flat fee visits: Most Wal-Marts charge a flat $45 for a “Get Well” visit, which is painstakingly simple when compared with health care’s typical insurance, co-pay, and deductible scheme. As Wal-Mart clinics become more popular, other health practitioners may be forced to adopt a similar pay structure in order to compete.

read the rest of this article here

Posted in Healthcare