Walmart Just Dragged Primary Care Into the Healthcare Cost Battle

Last week, mega-retailer Walmart tiptoed deeper into mostly uncharted healthcare waters by opening its second primary care facility called Walmart Health. The new location in Calhoun, Georgia, will be staffed with healthcare providers offering everything from walk-in and clinical care to x-rays and dental services, mirroring a similar center it opened in September in Dallas, Georgia. The company said the facility will provide “affordable, transparent pricing regardless of a patient’s insurance status.”

Were it just one such location, the facility could simply be categorized as a pet project; many companies maintain small business units...