The retail giant Walmart has announced the closure of its health centers and virtual care service due to the challenges of finding a sustainable business model for these offerings. Despite launching its health centers five years ago with the goal of helping people save money on their healthcare needs, Walmart has realized that the reimbursement environment and operating costs have made it difficult to achieve profitability.
In March 2023, Walmart had plans to expand its health centers by opening 28 more locations in Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, and Kansas City. However, after much consideration, the company has decided to close all 51 health centers in five states due to the lack of profitability.
Walmart employees who worked at these locations are eligible to transfer to any other Walmart or Sam’s Club location. While Walmart will continue to operate almost 4,600 pharmacies and more than 3,000 vision centers across the United States, the closure of its health centers marks an end to its efforts in providing healthcare services.
