Oct. 10 (Reuters) – Walmart (WMT.N) said on Tuesday it is expanding online primary care benefits as part of its employee health insurance plan for employees in 28 U.S. states.
The retailer employs more than 2 million people and is the largest private employer in the United States, according to regulatory filings.
Walmart announced it is partnering with virtual healthcare service provider Included Health to expand its online primary care services, which are already available in 21 states.
The expansion comes months after Walmart announced plans to open new health care centers in the U.S. next year as it seeks to expand its footprint in the industry.
As part of the expansion starting this week, employees will have access to virtual care options such as digestive health, physical therapy and some diagnostic tests at home starting early next year, the retailer said.
Walmart said in a blog post that its pilot of virtual primary care services reduced the total cost of care for employees and their families by 11%.
The company added that most of the online medical services offered as part of the plan are available at no additional charge.
Report by Juveria Tabassum. Edited by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Shweta Agarwal
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