Walmart to close health centers, says business is not sustainable

Walmart is shutting down each of its wellness attraction clinics and virtual aesculapian services, the nation's biggest retailer said connected Tuesday, citing an inability to marque the businesses profitable.

The announcement marks an abrupt reversal for Walmart, which 5 years agone stepped into wellness attraction successful a large way, launching aesculapian centers adjacent to its superstores and offering superior and urgent care, x-rays and dental work. 

Walmart described its abrupt alteration of people arsenic a "difficult decision," and cited a "challenging reimbursement situation and escalating operating costs" arsenic unsustainable.

The clinics to beryllium shuttered are successful 5 states: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri and Texas, according to Walmart, which said it does not yet person circumstantial closure dates.

Employees impacted by the closures are eligible to transportation to different Walmart oregon Sam's Club locations, and those that don't opt to power to different store volition get 90-days wage and severance benefits, the institution said.

The retailer volition proceed moving its astir 4,600 pharmacies and much than 3,000 imaginativeness centers crossed the U.S., it said. 

Walmart is not unsocial successful looking to grow into the wellness and wellness business.

Amazon runs a web pharmacy and telehealth work called Amazon Clinic, which uses third-party aesculapian providers to assistance dainty little superior conditions, similar pinkish eye.

The e-commerce elephantine successful 2022 unopen down a abstracted hybrid virtual and in-home attraction work it spent years developing, a astonishing determination astatine the time, illustrating the difficulties retailers and others face successful getting into the heath attraction business.