Retail clinics offer more treatments for chronic diseases

Retail health clinics are reevaluating their offerings. The Wall Street Journal reports: "Retail health clinics are adding treatments for chronic diseases such as asthma to their repertoire, hoping to find steadier revenue, but putting the clinics into greater competition with doctors' groups and hospitals."

"The new strategy comes as an initial thrust by clinics providing basic services fizzled. CVS pared its expansion plans and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which two years ago outlined plans to house 400 clinics, closed many clinics as several operators went out of business. Charging between $50 and $75 a visit, the clinics didn't generate enough revenue to cover startup costs. As part of their efforts to halt losses at the clinics, the chains are lobbying for more insurance coverage, and angling for a place in pending health-care reform legislation, while trying to temper calls for regulations" (Merrick, 9/10).

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This article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.