Stand Taller ~ Live Longer

Another datapoint in the trend towards the retailing of healthcare: Walgreen Buying Health Centers, Wall Street Journal, March 18, 2008.

Walgreen-the nation's largest drugstore chain(by $)- bought I-trax Inc ($259.7 million cash) and Whole Health Management ($???). The purchase gives Walgreen over 500 worksite (in businesses like Lowe's, Toyota Motor Corp, Continental Airlines, Sprint Nextel, and more) and instore Take Care Health Clinics health centers in 40 states.

This is another blip in trend towards big boxes entering the healthcare niche. In 2007 Wal-Mart set a goal to be the nation's largest healthcare provider by 2014, and in January Wal-Mart's CEO told store managers about a PILOT program to help "select employers save employers $100 million this year by removing unnecessary costs."

IMHO, Patients and providers will likely disagree with the company's definition of "unnecessary", and the trend towards reducing coverage and reimbursements will continue to accelerate.

Healthcare quality and service will change for many, and likely not for the better. The challenge for consumers will be finding providers who can economically empower them to economically care for themselves. And the opportunity for providers will be creating organizations and patient relationships geared towards empowering patients so care can provided economically.