Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Aug 13, 2014 21:32:21 GMT -5
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Aug 13, 2014 21:39:13 GMT -5
Overall, I can see positive changes occurring from this, but I can also see potential pitfalls.
I think if people have a place to go for ear infections, the flu, a sprained ankle, a bad cut, a sinus infection, stuff like that, then it can help relieve pressure on emergency rooms. Plus it can help provide low cost basic treatment for those who might not otherwise be able to afford it.
I'm not sure I'd trust a clinic like this with serious, chronic health conditions though, like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, ect. I just hope the staff know when they need to refer a patient to a primary care doctor or a specialist.
Anyway, I'd go to a place like that for a basic health need, but nothing of extensive complexity.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2014 21:42:55 GMT -5
I think it's one of the smartest business moves WM has ever made. It worked with eye care.
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Aug 13, 2014 21:50:28 GMT -5
I think it's one of the smartest business moves WM has ever made. It worked with eye care. Yes, I can see it now, "Sir, you have the flu, be sure to pick up your cold and soar throat medicine from the pharmacy. Also, there's a sale on chicken noodle soup in aisle three, and saltine crackers in aisle seven."
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2014 21:55:46 GMT -5
I think it's one of the smartest business moves WM has ever made. It worked with eye care. Yes, I can see it now, "Sir, you have the flu, be sure to pick up your cold and soar throat medicine from the pharmacy. Also, there's a sale on chicken noodle soup in aisle three, and saltine crackers in aisle seven." LOL! I think this idea may have come about due to all the medical questions and requests the pharmacists get for help from people who can't afford to go to a doctor.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Aug 13, 2014 22:59:47 GMT -5
Um, no.
If my kids are sick enough that they need to see someone, I'm going to take them to a dr. I want my kids to go see someone that has a history/rapport with them. One of my kids had a really bad ear infection that needed two different types of antibiotics. In a situation like this, I only want to deal with one person, not a different person, depending on the day.
If I want a nurse's input, I'll call up the drs office and speak with a nurse. I don't need to go to Walmart to do that.
We average about one sick kid visit a year. Otherwise, I'm perfectly fine talking with the nurse over the phone to go through self care options..
Do people with the flu and a cough really go to the drs? Last year, a virus when through the kids' school, and part of the illness was a 3 week cough. There isn't anything really a dr can do for it....
DD1 and I got hand foot and mouth. I didn't bother going to the dr to get confirmation. Again, it's a virus. We actually didn't get it in our mouth, there was nothing a dr could do for us...
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Aug 13, 2014 23:07:11 GMT -5
Big box stores with medical clinics could reduce the number of people showing up at hospital emergency rooms for non-emergency reasons. Possibly quicker treatment at emergency rooms.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Aug 13, 2014 23:28:34 GMT -5
Big box stores with medical clinics could reduce the number of people showing up at hospital emergency rooms for non-emergency reasons. Possibly quicker treatment at emergency rooms. But, if you read the article, the emphasis seems to be rural, not urban care: With its vast rural footprint, Walmart is positioning its primary care clinics in areas where doctors are scarce, and where medical care, with or without insurance, can be prohibitively expensive. If they succeed, the company said, it is prepared to open even more.
“If they’re rolling it out across the rural stores primarily, they’re actually filling an important gap in the health care ecosystem,” said Skip Snow, a health care analyst at Forrester Research.On of my parents grew up on a farm. You didn't see a doctor. Ever. Unless you were on your death bed. I just can't imagine people driving 20-30 miles (or more) one way to get a cough or minor scrape looked at. And, when you live in a county where there are on average 16 people living in a square mile, I don't see the huge pressure that puts on in an emergency room. Sure, I'll give you that it would relieve the pressure in an urban setting. But, they don't say they are going after the urban market, first.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Aug 14, 2014 2:37:01 GMT -5
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cronewitch
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Post by cronewitch on Aug 14, 2014 3:27:21 GMT -5
We have what I call Doc in a Box here. I went to one because they are open long hours. First time I had a broken leg they ex-rayed and said see a orthopedic surgeon. The next time because I had a sore on my leg, they swabbed it and gave me a prescription for antibiotics and a AIC test said see you doctor. But they were open weekends and after work when most doctors were closed. The last one the lady wasn't a doctor she was a physician's assistant so they must have had a doctor somewhere.
I would go to a Walmart clinic if they were private enough but not for a pap test or something very personal. Walgreen drug store is almost a clinic now they give vaccinations and take blood pressure behind a little curtain so you can get a flu shot or whooping cough shot without seeing a doctor at all. I don't have health insurance any more only Medicare and don't know how Medicare works so I might use that for a flu shot this year.
The pet shop has a vet shop in the corner so why not for people?
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marvholly
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Post by marvholly on Aug 14, 2014 6:02:05 GMT -5
I have had & still have HMO type insurance for over 15 years. They do/did NOT allow/pay for doc-in-a-box visits. Since my co-pay was $5 & now is $10 I go to my primary Dr or an associate. They have always managed to fit me in within a day. The big box places charge at least $40 here.
Crone Flu shot is FREE on all basic Medicare plans. No supplemental coverage needed. Used to get mine from my town but now just grab it at CVS, WAG, Meijer.....
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Aug 14, 2014 6:10:59 GMT -5
For some people who don't have a primary care doctor or can't get off work easily for an appointment it could fill a gap. This might be different for others but in most rural areas I know, people are going to a bigger area nearly daily for work or school. I know a few farmers but it isn't paying the bills. They all have 40 hour/week W2 gigs as well.
I can go to urgent care type places. Not sure about things like CVS Minute Clinic. As for not being a doctor well even when I went to the ER after my car accident it was a physician's assistant who evaluated me, ordered tests, wrote the prescriptions and discharged me.
My insurance did change last year to allow getting flu shots at places like Walgreens. It was good for me since I need the egg free version. Work gives the regular version for free and my whole office goes as a group to get it.
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Aug 14, 2014 7:46:51 GMT -5
Where I live, there is a shortage of family care doctors for adults. My DH has one, but if he is sick, the wait to see the doctor is 2 days. So we use urgent care. I would be fine going to one for minor illnesses. It would also be great to pick up any medicine in the same place.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2014 8:09:29 GMT -5
sure. none of us have a primary care doc now. if anyone needs a doctor for a cough, sprain, etc. we go to Urgent Care (there are several covered on my plan). DS1 had his sports physical the past 3 years at CVS Minute Clinic. DD got a tetanus booster before starting college in 2010 at the health department. I gave up on a primary doc for the kids after I had to wait over an hour the second time for the doctor. I see a midwife for a yearly visit and an endo for a yearly visit. I think one of the kids had a sick visit last year that I took them to and DD took herself to Urgent Care (while I was in Cancun) for some weird rash.
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The Captain
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Post by The Captain on Aug 14, 2014 8:12:09 GMT -5
Over 30 years ago sis and I wanted to switch from glasses to contacts. Our mom took us to a Sears optical because they were running a special.
The Optomotrist examined and fitted sis for a prescription. He then examined me and called my mom in. Told her I had a severe astignatism and he recommended a specialist. This after my mom had taken me to several other expensive eye doctors because my prescription kept changing.
The specialist put me through therapy that cut my prescription in half and stabalized it for close to 15 years before it change again. I consider that pretty friggin phenominal.
That eye "doc in a box" knew more about what he was doing then so of the other "experts".
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2014 8:25:49 GMT -5
I have had & still have HMO type insurance for over 15 years. They do/did NOT allow/pay for doc-in-a-box visits. Since my co-pay was $5 & now is $10 I go to my primary Dr or an associate. They have always managed to fit me in within a day. The big box places charge at least $40 here. Crone Flu shot is FREE on all basic Medicare plans. No supplemental coverage needed. Used to get mine from my town but now just grab it at CVS, WAG, Meijer..... I had an HMO once and it was the most god awful insurance ever. I am perfectly capable of deciding I need to see a specialist - I don't need to pay a copay to a doctor to write me an 'approval' for a specialist. plus if you wanted a sick visit you had to call by 8 am to get in the same day. I like being in charge of my own health care rather than someone whose main goal is to keep costs down.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Aug 14, 2014 8:37:36 GMT -5
I have had & still have HMO type insurance for over 15 years. They do/did NOT allow/pay for doc-in-a-box visits. Since my co-pay was $5 & now is $10 I go to my primary Dr or an associate. They have always managed to fit me in within a day. The big box places charge at least $40 here. Crone Flu shot is FREE on all basic Medicare plans. No supplemental coverage needed. Used to get mine from my town but now just grab it at CVS, WAG, Meijer..... I had an HMO once and it was the most god awful insurance ever. I am perfectly capable of deciding I need to see a specialist - I don't need to pay a copay to a doctor to write me an 'approval' for a specialist. plus if you wanted a sick visit you had to call by 8 am to get in the same day. I like being in charge of my own health care rather than someone whose main goal is to keep costs down. That is sooooo me. I did extensive research before going on medicare. If a plan said I needed a primary to refer me to a specialist I eliminated them immediately. I actually had a friend say "but your co-pay is cheaper for "regular doc" and I'm like you paid $30 to see reg doc and they sent you to a specialist and you paid $40 to see them. Hello, do the math!! Maybe things have change with medicare now but I really don't even want to do the research and I am happy with my plan.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 14, 2014 8:41:09 GMT -5
I'm not sure I'd trust a clinic like this with serious, chronic health conditions though, like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, ect. I just hope the staff know when they need to refer a patient to a primary care doctor or a specialist.
We have doc in a box clinics in several local Hy-Vees. They are attached to the Alegent/Creighton health system.
They are only for extremely basic things, they have a chart on the wall showing what they cover and the costs. You don't use them for chronic issues that require long term care. If they cannot accommodate you then they tell you to go see your general practitioner.
That's why they are cheaper because they can only do very limited things. Our insurance generally covers them since AC is in network, but even if they didn't it's only $69 compared to the $250 the walk in clinic wants.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2014 8:48:41 GMT -5
I have had & still have HMO type insurance for over 15 years. They do/did NOT allow/pay for doc-in-a-box visits. Since my co-pay was $5 & now is $10 I go to my primary Dr or an associate. They have always managed to fit me in within a day. The big box places charge at least $40 here. That's crazy that they don't allow Doc in the Box visits. I LOVE that option, which we have here (mostly Minute Clinics in CVS, but also some freestanding places and now a chain established by the local mega-hospital to cash in on the market). I'm blessed with great health and have appreciated being able to get care for the occasional case of raging poison ivy or a flu shot. DH has used it for bad respiratory infections- he gets immediate care and then follows up with his primary doc a few days later. He's 76 and these things turn bad fairly quickly for him, and it's great that he can get care the day he needs it. That's probably kept him from ending up in the hospital a few times.
I don't like Wal-Mart so probably wouldn't go there, but that's just me.
I'd like to think that this option would relieve pressure on emergency rooms, but I suspect a lot of the people whose idea of medical care is "wait till you can't stand it anymore and go to the ER" won't be at these clinics. Typically they not only don't have a primary care physician- they don't have money, either. These clinics get your credit card up front. I'm sure that's one of the reasons they've flourished- no bad debts.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2014 8:49:52 GMT -5
I would do it, but we never go anywhere but urgent care or the ER anyhow. Usually, it's just to check for an ear infection or to get a scrip for DS's eczema. The primary care doctors are booked up for weeks out so it never makes sense to make an appointment with them and then have to take off work to go.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2014 8:59:11 GMT -5
Yes, Walmart has an independent optometrist on staff. Could he/she treat my glaucoma or does my personal optometrist become a specialist? Does Walmart get to treat the "easy" patients that require only the most basic of services (no x-ray machine, for example), which will drive up the cost of other services when our primary care doctors only treat those who need more?
I have real problems with the model!
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jkapp
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Post by jkapp on Aug 14, 2014 9:18:04 GMT -5
sure. none of us have a primary care doc now. if anyone needs a doctor for a cough, sprain, etc. we go to Urgent Care (there are several covered on my plan). DS1 had his sports physical the past 3 years at CVS Minute Clinic. DD got a tetanus booster before starting college in 2010 at the health department. I gave up on a primary doc for the kids after I had to wait over an hour the second time for the doctor. I see a midwife for a yearly visit and an endo for a yearly visit. I think one of the kids had a sick visit last year that I took them to and DD took herself to Urgent Care (while I was in Cancun) for some weird rash. This is what I imagine the WM clinics will be: urgent care type facilites. They can fix up scrapes and bruises, hand out some scrips for colds/flu, but anything more serious, they will tell you to see your primary doc or go to a specialist. I could see that as a positive for the medical community.
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Aug 14, 2014 9:42:46 GMT -5
Um, no. If my kids are sick enough that they need to see someone, I'm going to take them to a dr. I want my kids to go see someone that has a history/rapport with them. One of my kids had a really bad ear infection that needed two different types of antibiotics. In a situation like this, I only want to deal with one person, not a different person, depending on the day. If I want a nurse's input, I'll call up the drs office and speak with a nurse. I don't need to go to Walmart to do that. We average about one sick kid visit a year. Otherwise, I'm perfectly fine talking with the nurse over the phone to go through self care options.. Do people with the flu and a cough really go to the drs? Last year, a virus when through the kids' school, and part of the illness was a 3 week cough. There isn't anything really a dr can do for it.... DD1 and I got hand foot and mouth. I didn't bother going to the dr to get confirmation. Again, it's a virus. We actually didn't get it in our mouth, there was nothing a dr could do for us... If I get flu like symptoms I don't go to the doctor, since as you said, there's really nothing they can do for you. When I got the flu in February, I was on business travel, and by the time I got back, it was the weekend and all the doctors offices were closed anyway. I just ride it out in bed or on the couch with my stockpile of OTC medicine.
I think the extended hours these clinics have can be a good thing, and walk ins are nice. Whenever I make an appointment with the doc, it's usually at least a week long wait. Granted they might see me sooner if I had some type of issue, but still, it's nice to have that option if you've got something after normal business hours and don't want to go to the emergency room.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2014 9:46:35 GMT -5
sure. none of us have a primary care doc now. if anyone needs a doctor for a cough, sprain, etc. we go to Urgent Care (there are several covered on my plan). DS1 had his sports physical the past 3 years at CVS Minute Clinic. DD got a tetanus booster before starting college in 2010 at the health department. I gave up on a primary doc for the kids after I had to wait over an hour the second time for the doctor. I see a midwife for a yearly visit and an endo for a yearly visit. I think one of the kids had a sick visit last year that I took them to and DD took herself to Urgent Care (while I was in Cancun) for some weird rash. This is what I imagine the WM clinics will be: urgent care type facilites. They can fix up scrapes and bruises, hand out some scrips for colds/flu, but anything more serious, they will tell you to see your primary doc or go to a specialist. I could see that as a positive for the medical community. our Urgent Care took a chest x-ray and diagnosed my kid's pneumonia. not sure if they stitch up anything.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2014 9:50:49 GMT -5
Ours does stitches. Oldest got his thumb in the bike chain a few years back and practically lobbed the top of it off. Urgent care stitched it back together and sent him on his way. They only send life threatening stuff on to the ER. Chest pain, shortness of breath, got run over by a car...
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 14, 2014 9:51:18 GMT -5
If it gets people out of the ER who are just sitting there waiting for antibiotics for strep or something then I am all for it. I definitely wouldn't use it for chronic conditions or for something major. Slightly OT, last night I was at the urgent care getting a rabies vaccination and someone came in because he thought he was having a heart attack. The hospital is right next door. I have no idea why someone would go to an urgent care instead of the hospital if they thought they had a serious condition like a heart attack. I don't think most urgent care facilities are equipped to deal with that kind of trauma or are they
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Aug 14, 2014 9:55:10 GMT -5
I have gone to Walmart Optometrists quite a bit. One was really good, the best I ever went to, most were average, one was bad. You can't really tell.
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greeniis10
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Post by greeniis10 on Aug 14, 2014 10:20:27 GMT -5
I think a lot of it also depends on the quality and knowledge of the staff. Some of these care facilities will be great, staffed by knowledgeable, well-trained people and some will not. That applies anywhere so it's hard to say whether this is a good idea "across the board" or not.
Also, since they are targeting rural areas for now, how are they luring in good physicians, nurse practitioners, etc.? They'd need to offer them a fairly good salary, I'd imagine, or there will be poor quality of care. (just a speculation, I suppose)
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Aug 14, 2014 10:26:31 GMT -5
I would use the WM clinic for things like pink eye, ear infections, strep throat, etc. Things that I basically have already self diagnosed but just need the Doc or the PA to write a prescription for so I can get it treated.
I would not go to the WM clinic for a yearly exam or any serious medical concerns that I have.
Like others have said- if it keeps people out of the ER than it's worth it. Last time I had to take my grandma to the ER (nursing home made me take her after she tackled several residents at 11pm and was bruised and bloody). The waiting room was empty when we went in, by the time we came out it was packed. Looks can be deceiving but no one looked deathly ill or like they needed immediate medical attention. The bulk of them were reading magazines or playing on their phones. I made some comment to our nurse like "looks like a busy night" and she just shrugged and said "it's cold and flu season"
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on Aug 14, 2014 10:27:56 GMT -5
Our Walmarts already has urgent care type facilities, what this article is suggesting is that they become an actual doctor's office and not just basic care. (I won't even say urgent care, because our urgent care associated with the hospital actually did x-rays and a CT scan on me a year ago when I had the stomach bug from hell).
Would I use them? I don't know. Not in my current situation. We have a great doctors and Walmart is not substantially closer than our doctor's offices. Thinking about out east of here where it is a lot more rural....every town that has a walmart, also has a clinic. Some even have hospitals. Shoot, the town my dad grew up in has a hospital (brand new), but not a Walmart. Yes, rural medicine is hard to find, but lets not pretend that Walmart is in every rural little town.
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