Practice Management
Urgent care has become more prevalent across the country for years, but new data from Massachusetts put a number on its growth there that is likely higher than many would have predicted. The number of urgent care centers grew 800% from 2010 through the end of 2017, according to a report from the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission. Retail clinics are also multiplying, though at a lower rate. By way of explanation, the Commission said it …
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Any thoughts that Humana’s zest for developing clinics in Walgreens drugstores would dampen its enthusiasm for deepening its relationship with Walmart should be put to rest, according to Humana CEO Bruce Broussard. In a call with analysts, Broussard said Humana’s Walgreens partnership will focus on “senior-focused primary care clinics” in Kansas City, MO area pharmacies. He was less specific about the insurer’s plans with Walmart, though it was clear they would focus on a different …
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Specialty urgent care centers of every stripe are on the rise across the country. One of the arguably most natural fits, orthopedics, is proving to be an especially attractive prospect for a Michigan couple who’ve launched an aggressive plan to open 32 specialty locations over the next 5 years. All will be operated as OrthoNOW franchises. Right now, Kelly and Mark Olin’s flagship location in Flint, MI averages around 20 visits a day, though they’re …
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MedExpress, which falls under the umbrella of UnitedHealthGroup’s Optum healthcare business, is planning to launch 12 new urgent care centers in Texas in the near future, with the first three expected to open between now and October. As recently as December 2017, it had just two in the entire state. The move is part of an expansive plan to increase UnitedHealthGroup’s healthcare holdings across the country. The company’s management has acknowledged a long-term goal for …
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Walgreens has launched a new “digital marketplace” designed to guide patients to the best care setting (out of the 17 partners they’re working with, at least) for whatever their symptoms might be. The idea is to simplify the process of deciding whether an urgent care center, hospital emergency room, specialty provider—or a Walgreens health provider, of course—will be best suited to offer the patient the right level of care. Physician house calls are also possible …
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Projections on the ongoing—and increasing—growth of the urgent care market continue to build, with the latest data predicting it to exceed $26 billion by 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23% in that 6-year period. Market Research Engine’s latest report, Urgent Care Center Market By Ownership (Corporate Owned, Physician Owned, Hospital Owned); By Services (Illness, Injury, Physical, Vaccination, Diagnostic, Screening) and by Regional Analysis—Global Forecast by 2017–2024, breaks down the industry by …
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A new post from PatientEngagementHIT.com (PEH) identifies urgent care as one of the “emerging players allowing patients to connect to care outside of a doctor’s office hours,” a key benefit at a time when access to care is getting more challenging all the time. PEH emphasizes four broad areas in which progress could be made to help patients get to see the clinicians that would be best suited for their current complaints in a timely, …
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Atlantic Health System and MedExpress have forged a partnership to coordinate care among 11 MedExpress neighborhood medical centers and Atlantic Health System’s network of physicians, hospitals, and other care sites in northern New Jersey. The aim is to guide more MedExpress urgent care patients to an Atlantic Health System facility when further care beyond the urgent care setting is needed. Conversely, MedExpress locations will act as an extension of Atlantic Health System for urgent care …
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Membership fee-based medical practices are proving to be an attractive option for patients and families that are uninsured, according to an article just published in the Chicago Tribune. Such practices don’t take insurance at all, but charge their “members” a monthly fee for unlimited office visits, some related services, and discounts on medications and lab tests. At MedLogic, one practice cited in the article as an example, that fee is roughly $140 a month. Fees …
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ZOOM+Care and Aetna are going to collaborate on an accountable care initiative in three Oregon counties, with the stated aim of cutting healthcare costs by up to 15% for employers in the Portland area. Offerings under the Aetna Whole Health ─ ZOOM+Care plan will be available starting July 1, though Aetna sales reps are quoting plans to local insurance producers as we speak. The partners plan to enable patients to use mobile phones to schedule …
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