A report by Texas 2036, a nonpartisan public policy organization, found that 41% of likely Texas voters, over half of which are mothers, skipped on health care because they did not know the final cost. In the same report, 39% of adults worried about their ability to cover the cost of health care.
Flower Mound resident Shantay Peloquin, regional director for Walmart Health & Wellness in North Texas, said the company strives to make health care more available to individuals by providing affordable prescription drug services and medicine delivery.
“We're trying to make healthcare affordable," she said.
Peloquin, who was diagnosed with Guillan Barre Syndrome in 2012 and breast cancer in 2020, has been with Walmart for 29 years and is passionate about the company’s commitment to continuing to provide health care services.
The details
One of the ways Walmart is making medicines more affordable for customers is through its automatic prescription refill plans, including $4 for 30 days’ dosage and $10 for 90 days’ dosage that are fulfilled through the pharmacy. With the prescription plans, the drugs offered are the generic versions, according to Walmart’s website. Walmart can also work with specialty pharmacies to fill more advanced prescriptions, Peloquin said.
Peloquin said that the regular refills also help patients take medications on time.
“It's about making sure that patients are healthy and staying healthy, and that they're taking their medications on time,” Peloquin added.
Additionally, Walmart Health & Wellness offers same-day drone delivery for most prescriptions, excluding liquids, she said, which helps reduce barriers to accessing health care. Prescriptions can also be delivered with a regular grocery order, and Walmart+ customers qualify for free delivery.
“They’re not always going to go to the doctor, but they’re going to go to the grocery store,” she said.
Peloquin said that insurance will cover most Walmart Health & Wellness Services, but it is not required to access health care through Walmart. The company has also committed to price transparency for services and offers virtual care options, which helps make care more accessible, she added.
“We think that everybody should have the same level of care regardless of their income,” Peloquin said. “Everyone needs to be able to make good health care decisions and to do that, they need to be educated, and they need to have access to care. That's what we're trying to bring to them.”
Diving deeper
In addition to fulfilling prescriptions, Walmart Health & Wellness also offers vaccines and travel immunizations. For individuals 14 years old and older, travel immunizations are available without a prescription as of May, Peloquin said.
Walmart also has optical services in most local Walmart stores, unless it is a neighborhood market. Peloquin said that the optical care is provided through independent optometrists, in most cases.
Within the optical services, patients can virtually try on 1,200 prescription frames, excluding sunglasses and safety glasses. Walmart optical care providers can also prescribe name brand and Walmart-brand contacts, Eureka, Peloquin said.
What else?
The company is also trying to place pharmacies within most stores in an effort to reduce barriers to health care and make it easier for individuals to access two basic needs in the same place. According to company data, there are nearly 600 pharmacies across Texas.
Walmart also employs more than 1,600 registered pharmacists, who dispense and advise patients on medications, and over 3,900 pharmacy technicians, which run cash registers and help with clerical work, statewide.
“I truly believe in the mission and Walmart does too,” Peloquin said. “There are a lot of retail companies that have moved away from health care retail, but they are passionate about taking care of the health of our associates and the communities we serve.”
