FREE healthcare (no, really)
Posted on 03/31/2009 02:55 pm by kagranju
Walgreen has announced plans to offer FREE healthcare to unemployed/uninsured folks:
Walgreen will offer free clinic visits to the unemployed and uninsured for the rest of the year, providing tests and routine treatment for minor ailments through its walk-in clinics, though patients will still pay for prescriptions.
Walgreen said patients who lose their job and health insurance after March 31 will be able to get free treatment at its in-store Take Care clinics for respiratory problems, allergies, infections and skin conditions, among other ailments. Typically those treatments cost $59 or more for patients with no insurance.
Smart marketing by Walgreen. They get the prescription buys from the clinic visits, plus people like me will be Walgreen fans, and more likely to shop there.
And given current stats, they’ll certainly have plenty of takers for this offer…
03/31/2009 at 9:40 pm
Dang! Talk about entrepreneurialism! Go Walgreen! I may have to go staple-shopping there just to support them!
03/31/2009 at 9:45 pm
Interesting marketing strategy – this is the first I’ve heard of it. While there are LOTS of Walgreens where I live, I don’t think any have walk-in clinics. Yet.
03/31/2009 at 9:45 pm
If you were to look for some sort of pre-constructed medical infrastructure that the government could ‘assist’ to make sure people have medical care of some sort, you couldn’t do much better than the little clinics in Walgreens and Walmarts nationwide. I haven’t been to one, but I don’t think they could be much worse than sick call when I was in the military – and possibly a lot faster.
Have them do the minor care stuff, refer seriously sick to doctors, refer when needed to hospitals for major/trauma care. And, oddly enough, I think the clinics would pretty much pay for themselves with the increased traffic at the stores they’re installed in…
How long will it be until the government legislates these into extinction, do you think? I give them two years…
03/31/2009 at 10:19 pm
I went to a MinuteClinic in a CVS and it was nice. It turns out I had gotten Strep from my son and I only had to walk in and wait around 10 minutes to see a Nurse Practitioner. She ran a strep test and determined I did have strep and then gave me a prescription which I filled out at the Pharmacy right there. Overall it was a good experience. It did cost my insurance $77 and myself $0. I’ll go back. Plus if I hated it I could choose to go the Walgreens or WalMart etc. since they are all doing the same type of thing. The Free Market will always win.
04/01/2009 at 5:37 am
And I’m in Walgreen anyway getting my print cartridge filled. As long as one uses a cartridge from the manufacturer (and not one from the internet) the results are terrific. I’ve been using them for about a year with appreciation of their $10 product!
04/01/2009 at 6:19 am
That MinuteClinic visit probably could have cost you $35, as the burden of compliance with insurance company rules and regulations concerning how the physician begs for payment at least double the total cost of primary care. I can’t imagine that ObamaCare will reduce the administrative burden; increasing administrative burden seems to be what they’re all about these days.
And I agree with JLawson — look for Congress to find some way to strangle independent efforts like this to bring market forces to bear on health care.
Still, this is a great move by Walgreens.
04/01/2009 at 8:14 am
It’s actually a heartbreaking American tragedy that a drug store needs to give away free medical check ups and care to people. Everyone deserves equal access to a HCP that is not dependant upon their employment status.
04/01/2009 at 8:47 am
FWIW,
Our local Walgreeens here in small town WV is rather new. Unfortunately, they have failed to pay many of our small local contractors. They do not have clinic, but I will be boycotting until they pay their bills.
04/01/2009 at 6:45 pm
It’s interesting to note that Walgreen’s is a major contributor to Republican politicians while their chief competitor, CVS, is a major contributor to Democrats. So which offers free health care to the unemployed/uninsured? The conservative Walgreen’s or the liberal CVS? Just goes to show conservatives are about action while liberals are all talk.
04/02/2009 at 12:38 am
Most Wallgreens in Washington state will no longer accept Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) (state run medical welfare) because the state reimbursements will no longer cover the costs to retailers providing the drugs. This is just another example of government “screwing” businesses.