Wal-Mart explores expansion of health care services
Wal-Mart explores expansion of health care services
posted 11.16.11
A confidential document leaked to National Public Radio revealed that Arkansas-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. seeks to expand its offerings in the provision of health care services. The document is a 14-page request for information sent to Wal-Mart vendors in late October announcing the mega-retailer’s intent to “build a national, integrated, low-cost primary care healthcare platform that will provide preventative and chronic care services that are currently out of reach for millions of Americans.”
The story broke on Nov. 9, 2011, and hours later, the company issued a two-line statement attributed to John Agwunobi, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., head of Wal-Mart’s health and wellness division, that reads, “The RFI statement of intent is overwritten and incorrect. We are not building a national, integrated, low-cost primary care health care platform.”
Despite the statement, the company appears to be proceeding with its solicitation of proposals, which are due by Nov. 22, 2011, according to the RFI. Wal-Mart has asked its vendors to demonstrate their ability to provide health care services and the “value proposition” they can offer the company. “The vendor should clearly describe how each service or product either completes or contributes to Wal-Mart’s vision of rapidly creating a nationally integrated healthcare platform.” The document then lists a set of chronic disease management services, diagnostic services, and preventive care services Wal-Mart is seeking vendors to provide, including management of everything from diabetes, asthma, and hypertension to sleep apnea, osteoporosis, HIV, and clinical depression.
AAFP President Glen Stream, M.D., M.B.I., told NPR that Wal-Mart’s proposal takes health care in the wrong direction. “I would still be gravely concerned that this is going to fragment care at a time when we now clearly understand that people having a usual source of comprehensive and continuous care in a single location is one of the main features that drives high-quality care, good patient health outcomes, and drives down costs.”
AAFP has contacted Wal-Mart to discuss its plans, but has issued a set of talking points to its constituent chapters stating that until Wal-Mart selects vendors and releases a detailed business plan, “… we have to limit our judgment since we do not know the details.” AAFP maintains a policy on retail health clinics that states: “The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) opposes the expansion of the scope of services of Retail Health Clinics (RHC) and, in particular, the management of chronic medical conditions in this setting. The AAFP is committed to the development of a health care system based on strong, team-based patient centered primary care defined as first contact, comprehensive, coordinated, and continuing care for all persons and believes that the RHC model of care further fragments health care.”
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View the latest post on TAFP’s blog: Wal-Mart: The future leader of low-cost care?