In late January, Amazon announced it was teaming up with Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase & Co. to launch a new company aimed at improving the healthcare experience for their employees.
“Everyone in the country is talking about Amazon and its partners changing the landscape of self-insured, large employers,” Trevor Price, CEO of the health services firm Oxeon Partners, told CNBC. “But the company that has the biggest opportunity to change landscape of healthcare, given all the Americans that walk through the door every week, is Walmart.”
Walmart, the nation’s largest employer, has a few major healthcare deals in the works. The company is in preliminary talks with health insurer Humana about developing a closer partnership, and one possibility is Walmart acquiring Humana. Walmart is also reportedly looking to buy online pharmacy startup PillPack for under $1 billion.
These deals, which are both still in early stages, give some insight into Walmart’s ambitious vision in healthcare, according to the report.
Thomas Cassels, a health researcher and consultant, also said Walmart is the company to watch.
“Outside of specialty drugs, Walmart is quietly the most affordable pharmacy in the country,” he told CNBC. “And by contracting directly with providers across the country, they are closing in on offering the most affordable medical services and episodes as well.”
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