September 12, 2008

Retail Clinics: Love ‘em - Part 1 of 2

Retail clinics are here to stay, in some shape or form at least. With nearly 1,000 of them in the country already (source: University of Michigan study as published on webMD.com), it’s no wonder different groups are getting used to the idea.

Parents: They don’t have to take kids out of school because the stores are open later and it’s faster to treat the simple ailments that kids pick up (ear infections, sore throat, pink eye).

Students: It’s cheap, and fast, especially far from home where Mom and Dad’s insurance might not reach.

Uninsured: Again, it’s affordable. MinuteClinic’s prices range from $29 for a blood pressure screening, $59 for physicals, and $69 for a strep test. And they accept cash, checks, and credit cards. (source: Houston Business Journal)

Physicians: They didn’t sign up for years of medical school and $150,000 in educational loans to check for pink eye all day, did they? Doctors can focus on patients with more time-consuming and complex ailments and leave patients with more minor problems for retail clinics. And, retail clinics could eventually serve as a great referral resource.

Insurers: It keeps costs down because retail clinic visits are cheaper. Saves them time on paperwork and billing as well.

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