The previous article, Healthcare and Wal-Mart, covered the idea of Wal-Mart’s basic care clinics. This article adds to that with a bunch of good ideas. Here’s a clip:

By Sarah Scrafford

Health care has been at the forefront of political and popular debate more than ever as costs continue to rise in the face of an unstable economy. With rising energy costs, falling real estate prices, and no national health care system, many people simply have to learn to do without the medical care they need. There are, however, ways to save on health care costs without having to sign up for a pricey insurance plan. Here are a few tips for saving your healthcare dollars, as well as a number of information sources for localized, low-cost healthcare.

Medical Care

Need some advice on how to cut down on your skyrocketing health care costs? These tips can give you a few ideas that may help take some of the pressure off of your wallet.

Take advantage of walk-in clinics. Chances are, if you just have a head cold or need a refill on a prescription like birth control pills, you don’t need to head into a full-fledged hospital or even a traditional doctor’s office….read the rest here

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