Feeling Ill? Head for the Nearest Walmart

You have to give Walmart credit.  It never stops innovating.  The retailing giant's latest goal is to become "the largest provider of primary healthcare services in the nation," The Wall Street Journal reports.

The newspaper says Walmart has been inviting proposals from vendors and contractors to help it gear up to offer services like testing for asthma, sleep apnea and osteoporosis; diagnostic services such as allergy and blood testing; and preventive services such as vaccinations and physical exams, as well as health and wellness products.

Walmart may also set itself up to help consumers manage chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, according to a confidential company document.

Never one for excessive modesty, Walmart said it wants to "dramatically ... lower the cost of healthcare ... by becoming the largest provider of primary healthcare services in the nation."

Maybe someday you'll be able to stop by the Walmart clinic, have some blood drawn, then do your shopping and pick up the diagnosis and prescription as you leave the store.  

Far-fetched?

It might sound far-fetched but with more than 3,800 U.S. stores, lots of positive cash flow and a very nimble inventory control system, there's not much Walmart can't do if it sets its mind to it.

One thing consumers don't think much about is the gargantuan data-processing system that enables Walmart to stock so much stuff in such an organized and cost-efficient manner.  The company was an early adopter of cutting-edge inventory-control systems, enabling it to achieve fast growth without becoming mired down in bureaucracy.

This behind-the-scenes wizardry is what enables Walmart to keep prices low and still turn a profit.  It's also, not coincidentally, the kind of efficient use of information technology that's largely missing  

Could Walmart really turn health care upside down?  It's possible. Think back just a few years and you'll recall that while others wrung their hands over prescription-drug costs, Walmart began offering generic prescriptions of popular drugs for $4.  Competitors followed and consumers saved untold millions of dollars.

In its request for proposals, Walmartreportedly told vendors it wanted to pick the best low-cost services by January and roll them out as quickly as possible.

After all, 2014 is just a few years off.  That's when the new federal health-care laws -- Obamacare to its critics -- fully take effect.  Millions more Americans will be covered by insurance, which is expected to drive up the demand for primary care.  Walmart obviously intends to be ready.   

Word of Walmat's plans was initially revealed by Kaiserhealthnews.org.