Retail giant Walmart, in partnership with Included Health, announced plans to expand its virtual primary care service nationwide. This expansion comes on the heels of a successful pilot program that netted positive outcomes for patients seeking care from the comfort of their homes.
“The program basically centers around the idea of bringing primary care into someone’s home or wherever they have their phone or their computer. And so it really puts the entire primary care model at their fingertips” Robin Glass, president of Included Health, said in an interview with McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “Looking at the impact on quality, access, cost and clinical outcomes, we’ve seen really exciting results.”
Specifically, patients utilizing Walmart and Included Health’s virtual care service witnessed an 11% reduction in their total cost of care. Those managing diabetes reported an average A1C level that was approximately 24% lower, while individuals with hypertension experienced an average reduction of 14% in blood pressure. The service also reduced the need for in-person doctor’s office visits; after using virtual primary care, only around 10% still required in-person care, according to a release.
Now growing out of its pilot program, Walmart announced that the service, simply called Virtual Primary Care will serve Walmart associates in all states but Hawai’i. But this expansion is just the beginning, according to Glass. Included Health and Walmart are continuing to look for ways to improve care delivery and health outcomes for all people, especially home care patients and individuals who wish to age in place.
“We see a lot of interesting opportunities to pair the virtual care services with actual care in the home,” Glass said. “Part of what Walmart is doing starting on Jan. 1 is to bring certain lab tests into the home, and then we will partner with them to look at those results and to follow up with members as needed.”
Virtual care delivery and telehealth is critical for advancing health equity, Glass noted. Improving access and reducing the cost of care, she said, are key goals for Walmart and Included Health’s virtual primary care service. In recent years, retailers like Walmart, Amazon and Best Buy have all implemented services to serve patients at reduced costs. For example, Amazon does not accept insurance for its virtual care clinic, instead charging all patients a flat rate. Walmart has gradually reduced copays for its virtual care service, ultimately offering it at no cost in 2020.
“We just have really serious access issues. The chance to bring care — particularly to folks who aren’t able to get out to in-person settings, or perhaps live in a rural area or some other underserved community — I think we’ve got to use innovation. And that’s what Walmart has done here, and that’s what Included Health is about,” Glass said.
