Walmart’s Early Christmas Gift to the HealthTech Community
18th December 2011
Startups thrive on discontinuities and disruption. NPR and Kaiser Health News broke a major story that Walmart intends to become the largest provider of primary care in the country. While Walmart backed away from some of what was reported in their Request for Information, there’s enough wiggle room in their statement to drive a truck through. In my view, this is the biggest news in healthcare since health reform. Regardless of how one feels about Walmart, it’s indisputable that they have a massive footprint and ripple effect that is good news for healthtech companies.
Hey, ‘buy local’ whiners! Let’s see your mom & pop shop do that!
With 1.4 million employees and hundreds of millions of customer visits every month, Wal-Mart’s impact is without parallel. It’s one reason that the Sierra Club partnered with Walmart on its Sustainability Program. At one time, Walmart would have been a target of scorn by the Sierra Club but they saw the impact they could have. The effect of Sierra Club’s partnership with Walmart may have had a more positive outcome on the environment than just about any other Sierra Club initiative.
And the Sierra Club enters the ranks of the ‘progressive’ organizations who are willing to surrender their principles in exchange for power. My, what a surprise. Aren’t you surprised? I’m sure surprised.
I believe the fundamental reason that the HealthIT systems in place are so abysmal (speaking from experience of having implemented dozens of these systems – many of which are developed on late 60’s technology) has been that decision-making in healthcare is incredibly convoluted, consensus-driven and drawn out.
Most of it caused by government regulations and the heavily government-regulated insurance industry. Let’s put the blame where it belongs. Good luck to Walmart trying to push that rope.