Walmart Health Clinics to Close at 51 Retail Stores: A Shift in Walmart’s Healthcare Strategy.
In recent news, Walmart has announced plans to close its health clinics at 51 retail stores in five states. This decision comes after the company had initially planned to double the number of clinics at its retail stores, indicating a shift in strategy. The exact timeline for the closures has not been provided, but sources suggest they will occur within the next 45 to 90 days.
Walmart’s health clinics, which first opened in Georgia in 2019 and later expanded to Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, and Texas, offered a range of health services from primary care to behavioral health, labs, and X-rays. In addition to physical locations, Walmart also provided virtual care through its website. However, changes in reimbursement information led to the decision to shut them down.
On the other hand, Amazon has recently expanded benefits for Prime members by providing access to online services and visits at hundreds of One Medical clinics nationwide. Similarly, Walgreens recently announced the closure of 160 Village MD clinics due to financial losses. Despite closing the health clinics, Walmart will continue to operate pharmacies in approximately 4,600 stores across the country. The company views its pharmacies as a crucial entry point to healthcare services.
