Walmart Plans to Enter Health Care Market

By Julia Appleby and Sarah Varney, Kaiser Health News

Walmart - the nation's largest retailer and biggest private employer -- now wants to dominate a growing part of the health care market, offering a range of medical services from basic prevention to management of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, NPR and Kaiser Health News have learned.

In the same week in late October that Walmart announced it would stop offering health insurance benefits to new part-time employees, the retailer sent out a request for information seeking partners to help it "dramatically ... lower the cost of healthcare ... by becoming the largest provider of primary healthcare services in the nation."

On Tuesday, Walmart spokeswoman Tara Raddohl confirmed the proposal but declined to elaborate on specifics, calling it simply an effort to determine "strategic next steps."

The 14-page request asks firms to spell out their expertise in a wide variety of areas, including managing and monitoring patients with chronic, costly health conditions. Partners are to be selected in January.

Analysts said Walmart is likely positioning itself to boost store traffic - possibly by expanding the number of, and services offered by, its in-store medical clinics. The move would also capitalize on growing demand for primary care in 2014, when the federal health law fully kicks in and millions more Americans are expected to have government or private health insurance.

"We have a massive primary care problem that will be made worse by health reform," says Ian Morrison, a Menlo Park, Calif-based health-care consultant. "Anyone who has a plausible idea on how to solve this should be allowed to play."

YES, fix it ..... as long as it doesn't affect me ..

Voters in Ohio are FICKLE.

They voted Republican, and put a new Governor in office. He stated he would cut spending, and he was elected for that reason. Now, he is in office implementing his promises and he has stepped on a few toes, so now, they are against his proposals.

Issue 2.

Some employees, that DID  NOT in the past, are now, if the Issue passes, going to have to pay their fair share. They don't like that.

Certain departments want to do their own IDEAL staffing, regardless if the personnel are available or not.

THEY liked the concept, but didn't like the execution of it. They wanted the state to SAVE money, but not if it effects them

SAVE money, but not if it effects me.

ADD Staff, even though there is no money to do so.

WE want to live in an IDEAL world.

WE want our CAKE and WE want to EAT it TOO.

If someone is trying to FIX a problem, work with them to do so, don't bring up EMOTIONAL ISSUES to try to get a response across. Don't THREATEN me or my life with situations that could arise, IF?????

Not a Bad Idea - Tell Your City Council

Recently, in the City of Dallas, Texas, they passed an ordinance that if you are pulled over by law enforcement and not able to provide proof of insurance, your car will be towed right away.

Afterwards, to retrieve your car after being impounded, you must show proof of insurance to have your car released. This has made it easy for the City of Dallas to remove uninsured cars that are typically driven by mostly illegals.

Shortly after "No insurance" ordinance was passed, the Dallas impound lots began to fill up quickly and were full after nine days. Most of the impounded cars were driven by illegals.

Not only must you provide proof of insurance to have your car released, you have to pay for the cost of the tow, a $350 fine, and charged $20 for every day the car is kept in the lot.

I would suggest other cities across the nation to follow, what Dallas, Texas is doing. Not only is it getting uninsured drivers off the road, but it is taking away vehicles, driven by illegals with no insurance, that might endanger your life.

A point of view .... on medical insurance and care

A comment on health care, my opinion, why the costs have soared.

My Dad was a general practitioner, home and office together. He had a nurse and an office manager. He took care of many problems, right in his office, or in the home. He even had a small pharmacy where he dispensed some pills and syrups. He didn't have to write many expensive prescriptions.

If he needed more done, he had Miami Valley Hospital not too far away, they had an operating room, x-ray machine, lab, and at that time they were state of the art. A fine hospital. I am sure they had other equipment, but not sure what it was.

He even made house calls in the morning, and took care of those who could not make it in to the office, or the hospital. I often rode with him in the car on his house call rounds. I even got my drivers license when I was 14, so I could drive him around. In those days, doctor's kids, as well as farmers kids, could get an early license.

When he retired from practice, in the early 60's Blue Shield of Ohio wanted him to travel the state of Ohio, to go around to various county medical societies, and implore, beg, whatever, the doctors to NOT abuse their health insurance system. He gave up after a couple of years, knowing it was of no use.

That is when costs started mushrooming. Insurance was going to pay for it, so do more tests, send to specialists, more tests, more tests, more tests, more expensive tests, more expensive procedures. Those were the days when you speculated the sex of a baby, and it was a surprise. You purchased yellow clothes, not pink or blue.

If he was in practice today he would probably have to have a staff of eight or ten, or more just to take care of the paperwork. Do you get better care today? My Dad knew the names of his patients, took care of their family, delivered their babies, knew their family history, and was a family friend. Personal medical attention, and it didn't cost an arm and a leg. He was Doc, to them. And, I might add, he wore a suit, white shirt and a tie, and was held in high esteem by his patients, who had great respect for him. I had a doctor come to my room at the hospital, in jeans and tennis shoes. That operation probably cost more than my Dad made some early years of his practice.

In 1943, he sold his practice, and went into obstetrics in the Fidelity Building in downtown Dayton, Ohio. He had perhaps one of the largest practices in the city, and still had a nurse and an office manager. I am not sure of what he charged for the entire cost, office visits, delivery, etc., all of his books are lost, but it was not very much. Probably not a lot more than one office visit today. Think of the staff an OBGYN doctor has today.

Blame the physicians for high costs, blame technology for new equipment that all hospitals have to have now days, and all the employees they need to operate that equipment and blame the judicial system, that makes it mandatory that the Doctor has to use every test and procedure, just to protect himself, and for making malpractice insurance so costly.

All those advances have made it possible for us to live longer, and create a whole new problem, elder care. My Dad treated many elderly people, who lived long lives, and were taken care of by their families, and their General Practitioner Doctor, who came to their homes, knew their family history, knew their names, and doubled as their friend.

HALLELUJAH....................

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Public support for President Barack Obama's handling of healthcare reform, the pillar of his legislative agenda, has fallen below 50 percent for the first time, a Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Monday said.

Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress have run into stiff opposition this month as they try to pass legislation to restructure the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare industry through the creation of a government-run health insurance program.

Republicans and some fiscally conservative Democrats argue the plan, with an estimated cost of more than $1 trillion, could hurt small businesses, add to budget deficits and reduce the quality of medical care for many Americans.

Those concerns may be having an impact on the public, according to the poll, which showed 49 percent of respondents approving of Obama's stand on the issue compared to 57 percent in April.

Those saying they disapproved rose to 44 percent from 29 percent during the same period.