Walmart has just positioned itself to become the next major player in healthcare.
Key Details
- Walmart and healthcare provider UnitedHealth Group have signed an agreement to work together and provide preventative care for seniors aged 65 and over—providing value-based care, virtual care, and initiatives to target diseases like diabetes and heart disease using existing Walmart locations.
- The collaboration will begin with 15 Walmart locations in Georgia and Florida this coming January.
- “Walmart Inc. and UnitedHealth Group announced the beginning of an initial 10-year, wide-ranging collaboration, bringing together the collective expertise of both companies in serving millions of people with high-quality, affordable health services that improve health outcomes and improve the patient experience,” says UnitedHealth Group’s press release.
- It is the most recent collaboration between the companies following a partnership in January of this year to provide free COVID-19 test kits.
Why it’s news
The move is a major one for Walmart, which could position America’s largest retail chain as a major provider of healthcare, especially in parts of the country with limited access to hospitals or preventative care facilities. Walmart has a massive reach of 4,735 domestic locations that will allow it to compete against other major pharmacies and healthcare providers.
“The move expands Walmart’s footprint in healthcare as it looks to better challenge CVS and Walgreens,” reports LinkedIn News
“Walmart’s clinics could get a boost of new customers from UnitedHealth’s Medicare Advantage members, while UnitedHealth gains access to the largest U.S. retailer’s footprint and a venue to enroll more people,” says Reuters.
The partnership is also a major benefit for seniors, as it will provide greater access to care through Medicare Advantage plans and increase access to preventative care for diseases that rank among the top killers.
“The partnership could be a game-changer for senior care and health care access since Walmart says 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store,” says LinkedIn News