Walmart is expanding its virtual primary care options for its employees nationwide through a partnership with Included Health.
The retail giant first introduced virtual urgent care and therapy for some employees in 2016. Along with offering virtual primary care options, Walmart will roll out virtual digestive care and physical therapy, according to an Oct. 10 Walmart news release.
Most of the virtual healthcare options are available to Walmart employees and their families for a $0 co-pay. In trials, the program lowered healthcare costs by 11 percent. Walmart, which is the nation's largest private employer, spent more than $6 billion on claims, insurance premiums and administrative costs in 2022, Bloomberg reported Oct. 10.
"Over the past three and a half years, Walmart has tested and validated the role of virtual care beyond simple sick needs," Included Health CEO Owen Tripp said in the news release. "Against national primary care shortages, rural health care deserts, and persistent price growth, Walmart has continued to move health care forward."