Medicine: brilliance, or the end of primary care as we know it?
I'd heard rumors about this for a while now, but Solantic has finally struck a deal with Wal-mart to put urgent care clinics in Wal-mart stores.
the good: this might SERIOUSLY reduce costs from unnecessary ED visits depending on how insurances, medicaid, and medicare cover these costs.
the bad: by making 'urgent care' treatment so accessible, will the traditional model of primary care, which emphasizes longitudinal experience, patient-doctor relationship, and preventive medicine, be lost to the market?
the ugly: do you really want to be 'the Wal-mart doctor?' does that mean you got your degree in aisle 19 beside the laundry detergent?
Despite my reservations, I don't see many ways in which the world can be made worse by increasing access to health care.
But with Wal-mart involved, I'm sure they'll figure out something.
I just hope they don't start advertising, 'buy one ZPak, get the second half off!'
4 comments:
Actually, in true Walmart tradition, all of the physicians will be from China.
Great, there goes the old-fashioned "Ma and Pa" doctor's office.
The old Country Doctor has been a dying breed for a long time. The insurance companies have been forcing Doctors to group together in order to have some say. The single, or dual Physician practice are things of the past, the only ones you will find now are the Physicians to old to change or to rural to care.
Wouldn't it be easier to put clinics in schools? You know, where people are supposed to be taking their children each day and what I pay for as a taxpayer. Not in a Wal-Mart buying stuff they don't need.
The thought of Wal-Mart controlling people's health and the price gauging they will put on the Feds is sickening.
I want all the W's removed:
gWbush
Wal-Mart
Wendy's
Women who are pro-life
Wanna be types
Wyoming (They gave us Dickie Cheney)
Need I go on?!
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