Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Walgreens to start offering Healthcare...finally a real solution for those without Health Insurance and real healthcare....


This Snippet from the Huffpost article:::
"The program is expected to last through the end of 2009. Walgreen runs 341 Take Care clinics in 35 markets around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, Miami and Cleveland.Free services will be offered only from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Walgreen said it will not offer free checkups, vaccinations or other injections because it is focusing on providing services patients might otherwise get at an urgent-care center or even an emergency room.Patients must present proof they are unemployed, including a federal or state unemployment determination letter and an unemployment check stub. They will have to sign a form at the clinic saying they have lost their jobs and health benefits. If they find a new job or get new health insurance, they will no longer be eligible for free care.Spouses and children are also eligible for free services if they don't have insurance of their own.Medical lab operator Quest Diagnostics is participating in the program by offering free tests for step throat and urinary tract infections."
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So if you are working and don't have Insurance it looks like you can also go for care or for simple prescription refills. If you need more information , this is the number you can call to find a Take Care Clinic near you Please call us at 1-866-Take-Care (1-866-825-3227).
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I am hoping this idea spreads across the country and that more pharmacies do this to help people and provide more service and care, it makes sense that people will come and are needing care. Sometime people can not afford both the Doctor Appointment or the Meds.
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Wednesday Morning Update 4.1.09
So I called the Take Care Line, and it turns out that the Care they are offering is ONLY for people that have recently been laid off or lost their healthcare, or health insurance through being laid off, and have been patients at Take Care PRIOR to March 31st. I did suggest that perhaps they should think on expanding coverage to OTHERS that are are Uninsured and or Underinsured but working. She said that there are "policies" that won't allow that. I also tried to locate care for Downtown Cleveland Residents- but it turns out the "clinics" are ONLY the suburbs, NONE are in Downtown Cleveland.

6 comments:

Fran said...

Yay Walgreens! Way to step up.

Dada said...

Thank you Walgreens! But what a sad comment on the sorry-assed state of Third World-like health care in the former richest (now bankrupt) nation on Earth.

Oh well, at least we can thank the U.S. for more troops for Afghanistan, more Predators for Pakistan.

Who needs a country when we have a drugstore like Walgreens??!!

enigma4ever said...

thanks Dada....
ahem...
yeah...
can't believe I got turned DOWN by Walgreens today...oye...

D.K. Raed said...

It's another Catch-22. If you are working but either your employer doesn't offer health benefits or you don't qualify (perhaps due to working just under the hours required to qualify), NO free health care at Walgreens! Still, I can't fault them for stepping up to the plate and offering what they can. And just a side note, I wonder what kind of health benefits Walgreen's offers its own employees?

Patricia said...

The limits they have in place may be necessary but they sure don't solve the real problems that exist. Let's hope that real progress gets made at the government level soon.

enigma4ever said...

Zen..
it is a start....and I guess that is what counts...imagine if we had Nurse Practioners at EVERY Pharmacy doing clinics...that would actually make it competitive...

;-)