A new venue for the provision of health care is emerging, one that boasts convenience, affordability, and little or no waiting for simple, routine services. In-store clinics—small offices located in a retail pharmacy, grocer, big-box store or the like, usually staffed by a nurse practitioner or physician assistant—are growing in number. According to a report from the California HealthCare Foundation, estimates from the industry project that within the next year or two thousands of these clinics will be operating throughout the country. Stores currently housing in-store clinics at some of their locations include Walgreens, CVS, Eckerd Drugs and Wal-Mart. MinuteClinic, Take Care Health Systems, and RediClinics are a few of the clinic operators, leasing space from the stores in which they reside.
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Employers increasingly are looking to promote lifestyles that can help employees avoid higher health care costs, reduce absenteeism, and raise productivity in the workplace. Wellness programs can be part of this strategy. To encourage participation in wellness initiatives, an employer might consider offering an incentive, such as a premium reduction. In offering incentives, however, an employer must remain cognizant of the nondiscrimination rules under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which prohibit health plans from charging similarly situated individuals different premiums or contributions or imposing different deductibles, copayments or other cost-sharing requirements based on a health factor.
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