Walmart Health expands as physician practices face cash crunch

Walmart is moving deeper into the primary care market while physician practices across the country are struggling to stay afloat. 

Since September, Walmart Health has opened two standalone clinics. One in Dallas, Ga., and another in Calhoun, Ga. This summer, Walmart Health clinics will open in Loganville, Ga., and Newnan, Ga., and the company received approval in late April from the Fayetteville (Ga.) Planning and Zoning Commission to build a 6,500-square-foot clinic, according to The Citizen

Walmart Health is opening more clinics, which offer a variety of services, ranging from primary care to labs to dental, in one facility, while primary care practices are facing financial damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-April, 20 percent of primary care practices predicted they would close within a month, and nearly half of those surveyed were unsure if they had enough cash to remain open. 

With more than 5,000 stores and clubs nationwide, Walmart has the potential to upend the way many Americans receive medical care. Walmart wants physicians at its health centers to replace patients' current primary care providers, Marcus Osborne, Walmart's Vice President of Health and Wellness Transformation, told CNN Business in March. 


More articles on healthcare finance:
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US hospitals losing $1.4B in revenue per day
How much federal COVID-19 aid are hospitals getting? A state-by-state analysis

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