Walmart Abandons Key Service That Could Leave Some Customers Scrambling

Walmart is ready to shutdown a service offered in at least six states after reports showed a lack of profit.

Walmart's Role In Healthcare Industry

Walmart stores of all sizes are just about everywhere across the U.S. In a 2023 report, the company touted that 90 percent of the population lives within 10 miles of a Walmart.

Even if you don't depend on Walmart and the services that it offers, there's a lot of people who do given its widespread availability.

That also includes healthcare services. According to a CNN report, Walmart currently runs nearly 4,600 pharmacies and 3,000 optical centers in the U.S.

Somewhere along the way, Walmart decided they would go all-in on healthcare services and open dedicated healthcare clinics that would sit next to some of their largest stores.

The bold move added everything from urgent care to x-rays and dental work in at least six states.

Walmart Making Changes To Healthcare Offerings

Walmart continues to assess its stores nationwide. In late 2023, the retail giant started refreshing and upgrading the layout of nearly 1,400 stores.

In addition to the changes, Walmart will also be eliminating its healthcare clinics in:

• Arkansas
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Missouri
• Texas

"This is a difficult decision, and like others, the challenging reimbursement environment and escalating operating costs create a lack of profitability that make the care business unsustainable for us at this time," Walmart announced today. 

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This ends a five-year run for Walmart Health centers and Walmart Virtual Care. The move, however, does not affect the store's pharmacies or vision centers.

If you depended on Walmart's health centers for services, you may have some time to find another option. Walmart has yet to determine a specific date for when each healthcare center will close.