Move over Amazon, Walmart's entering the telehealth game
Walmart is building a suite of digital health care offerings to complement its brick-and-mortar health care services.
Just months after Amazon announced the national expansion of its Amazon Care program (and a mere week after it announced its first corporate customer), Walmart has thrown its hat into the virtual health care ring. Last week, the retail giant announced its latest investment in the health care space with the acquisition of telehealth provider MeMD.
The move is part of the company’s mission to provide an “integrated, omnichannel health delivery that leverages data and technology to improve engagement, health equity and outcomes.”
Related: 3 themes will define virtual health care strategies in 2021
It will also allow the company to better compete with Amazon as consumer interest in virtual care heats up. Over the past several months, Walmart has also added partnerships with Doctor on Demand as well as telehealth app Ro, strengthening its suite of digital health care offerings.
“Telehealth offers a great opportunity to expand access and reach consumers where they are and complements our brick-and-mortar Walmart Health locations,” said Dr. Cheryl Pegus, Walmart’s executive vice president of health & wellness. “Our Health & Wellness mission is to focus on the consumer’s seamless experience and improved health.”
Walmart’s virtual care integration will take a little longer to get off the ground as it awaits regulatory approval but is expected to close within the next few months.
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