For people who have recently lost their jobs and no longer have health insurance, the Federal government isn’t the only answer to their financial woes. Walgreens is extending a helping hand by allowing any unemployed person and their families to receive care for minor aches and pains at any one of its 342 Take Care clinics – at absolutely no charge.
Walgreens corporate “do-goodism,” dubbed the Take Care Recovery Plan, does have a catch. In order to qualify to use the services of a Take Care clinic at no cost, individuals must have used the clinic before being laid off. “There are still a lot of people who have no idea these clinics exist, and this will absolutely help raise awareness,” says Darren Brandt, a spokesperson for Take Care Health Systems, the Walgreens-owned company that runs the clinics. Walgreens is hoping to entice more people to visit its Take Care clinics, which are located in 30 metro areas, to receive care for a minor health issue. Then should they find themselves laid off, they would qualify for the free healthcare.
According to a blog written in U.S. News & World Report, the Take Care Recovery Plan covers minor, non-acute ailments that in-store clinics, like Take Care, typically treat. These could include ear and sinus infections, minor cuts and burns, and even athlete’s foot. More extensive services, such as physicals, wellness exams and vaccinations, are available for a fee. The Take Care Recovery Plan is open to adults 19 or older who have lost their jobs on or after March 31 and are eligible for federal or state unemployment insurance benefits. Their spouses, same-sex domestic partners and children from 18 months through 18 years are also eligible. Walgreens expects to offer the program through the end of 2009.
Blog entry: Walgreens clinics offer free medical care for unemployed, uninsured workers www.health.usnews.com April 1, 2009
