Is Walgreens doing more for population health than you?

Last week, in a rather quiet announcement, Walgreens launched an extension of its “Balance Rewards” program that might just strike fear in any healthcare executive worried about the growing competitiveness of retail health.
Walgreen’s new Balance Rewards for healthy choices™ initiative extends the retailer’s loyalty program to reward members for participating in various health-related programs and tracking progress toward health goals.
Balance Rewards members earn around 10 points for every $1 they spend at Walgreens. Under the new ‘healthy choices’ initiative, members can earn 250 points for setting a personal health goal, 20 points for every mile they walk or run and 20 points for weight tracking each day, among other incentives. Once a member earns 5,000 points, they earn a $5 dollar credit toward any Walgreen’s purchase.
Members can enter the information through the Balance Rewards website, or by downloading a Walgreens app. The app is compatible with some 40 wearable devices and apps, including Fitbit, iHealth and MapMyFitness, so members can automatically sync their fitness data into the program app and earn points without lifting a finger.
The program is rather ingenious on Walgreen’s part. It encourages healthy behavior, makes the retailer part of the healthcare solution, and drives traffic to Walgreen’s website and app (where promotional information can be seen by users) and retail locations. Insurers can even sign on to set up specific goals for their members.
There are 8,215 Walgreens stores in the country, and 8 million Americans visit a Walgreens each day(!). There are three within a five-minute walk from my office here in Chicago, and an informal poll among Becker’s workers found most of us visit a Walgreen’s store more than once a week.
The launch of the program is yet another noteworthy move by the company to further brand itself as a healthcare provider — and not just a corner store that sometimes fills your prescriptions.