Walmart Abandons Health Centers and Virtual Care Services Despite Initial Success

Walmart has announced that it will be closing its health centers and virtual care service, despite having launched them five years ago with the goal of helping people save money on their healthcare needs. The company had 51 health centers in five states, with the first center opening in 2019. However, Walmart has discovered that there is no sustainable business model for them to continue operating these services.

The challenging reimbursement environment and escalating operating costs were cited as factors that have made the care business unsustainable for Walmart at this time. Despite this, the company had plans to add more than two dozen health centers to some of its stores in March 2023, with a focus on locations in Dallas and Houston, as well as expanding into Phoenix and Kansas City, Missouri.

However, Walmart has not yet provided specific dates for when its health centers will close. Employees who worked at these centers are eligible to transfer to any other Walmart or Sam’s Club location. Despite the closure of its health centers, Walmart still operates almost 4,600 pharmacies and over 3,000 vision centers in the United States.