Walmart Plans More Health Clinics In Atlanta Area

Walmart will open up at least six more health clinics in the greater Atlanta area by the end of the year, according to CNBC.

There are already four such clinics, with three in Georgia and one in Arkansas. But Walmart is looking to open more, CNBC reported, as it attempts to get into the health market. The retail giant is also looking at opening clinics in the Jacksonville area of Florida, and it will open two clinics in Chicago, which would bring the total number of Walmart clinics to 13.

The clinics are able to offer primary care, dental exams and other medical services, CNBC wrote, including X-rays, hearing services and mental health counseling.

According to CNBC, the clinics range from 5,200 square feet to 8,800 square feet and include a waiting room, exam rooms and larger rooms for yoga classes or seminars.

James Gardner, a Boston-based retail healthcare consultant, told CNBC opening clinics in different places will let Walmart test its success. In Georgia, there aren’t many primary care options, and access to care is low; while in Chicago there is a bountiful wealth of healthcare options. In Florida, he said, the large senior citizen population will possibly be attracted to the low costs of the system due to their fixed incomes.

According to Gardner, as reported by CNBC, Walmart’s low prices will help it stand out in the healthcare industry, along with its doctor-centric clinics as opposed to other clinics’ reliance on nurses or other assistants. And, he said, the clinics being adjacent to the stores will help because the customers will already be there to shop.

Patients visiting the clinics will pay a flat fee for a doctor’s appointment or other services, with annual checkups costing $30 for adults. Strep or mono testing will cost $20, and dental appointments will cost $25, according to CNBC. It will be $45 for a 45-minute counseling session.

In separate news, Tim Barry, co-founder and CEO of VillageMD, said in a PYMNTS interview that the company is partnering with Walgreens to offer access to hundreds of primary care clinics at Walgreens locations. The initiative aims to lower the cost of healthcare by raising its efficiency.