Now We Can Go See Dr. Wal-Mart

As health care concerns reach their zenith in this country, Wal-Mart has once again brilliantly added a new dimension to their business. They now are offering walk in health clinics in their stores. They plan on opening 400 co-branded convenient clinics by 2010.

Now, not only can we buy cheap goods, but we can receive cheap health care too! And that is what we are looking for right? It is a clever offer what Wal-Mart is doing, just like they did with the hurricane effort. They come to the rescue, a public relations ploy. Its nice what they did for New Orleans but they would not have done it if it did not make them money. If they wanted to do something about health care in the country they would offer coverage to all their employees. Now they see a nation in dire need of a better health care system and they capitalize off it. Offering cheap coverage right in their stores. Bringing in more potential costumers.

Not only has Wal-Mart managed to cheapen labor by averting unions but now they offer a cheap doctor's office. This is a brilliant public relations ploy in the midst of an election stressing the need for a new health care program. You can bet that people will utilize these offices too. Again Wal-Mart takes advantage of the poor and still looks good in the public eye for what they do for America.

But yes, we want to lower health care costs in this county, but do we want to make the service cheap? Do we want Wal-Mart as a provider? Do you want your children getting the best doctors or cheap ones? Some don't have a choice who are uninsured. Wal-Mart’s walk-in clinics are often run by independent entrepreneurs with little or no experience in health care.

Just goes to show how big the Wal-Mart Corporation is. That they can even tap into a nation's health care crisis. How scary that is.

Andrew Thibodeau
Political Advisor for the ICDP