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Wal-Mart Wants To Be Your Doctor

And your manager of chronic diseases. And your pharmacist. And maybe your health coach. They could even play in your ACO sandbox.

In response to the article, Wal-Mart says they’re NOT, repeat NOT “… building a national, integrated low-cost primary health care platform..." OK, got it.  Not.

Unless, of course, they are.

It’s hard to deny their interest when a few scant weeks ago the retailer sent out a request for partners to help it "dramatically ... lower the cost of healthcare ... by becoming the largest provider of primary healthcare services in the nation."

It's no surprise that hospitals and physicians face stiff competition from unexpected directions.  These deep-pocketed newcomers care not a fig for our outdated business models, our glacial decision-making and our ability to pervert most innovations that might disrupt the status quo.

[Read more from NPR blogs...]
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