Walgreen's offers free health care for jobless
Filed under: Bargains, Health, Recession
Walgreen Co. is the latest company to use the tactic of helping the unemployed, offering free visits to its clinics for people who lose their jobs and don't have insurance.
From free dress shirts for job interviews, to printing resumes for free or offering to buy back the new car you just bought if you lose your job, many businesses are finding that it makes good business to offer deals or giveaways to the jobless.
Walgreen's Take Care health clinics will offer free visits for the rest of the year to adults who lose their jobs on or after March 31, according to a Reuters story. Spouses, domestic partners and children also qualify if they don't have their own health insurance. A certification form must be completed. Walgreen has a short video on the program.Quest Diagnostics Inc. is offering certain free laboratory tests, such as strep throat and urine cultures, in the "Take Care Recovery Plan." People must prove they are getting government unemployment benefits to qualify for the free visits.
According to the clinic's question and answer web page, the offer includes most services offered at the clinics, including for common family illnesses such as colds, cough, flu, upper respiratory conditions and minor skin conditions. It doesn't apply to healthcare services outside of Take Care Clinics. It also doesn't include wellness services provided at the clinics, such as physicals, vaccinations and health evaluations.
Getting health care is one of the first things the newly unemployed worry about when losing their job. It's one of the main reasons why I continue looking for full-time work after being laid off nine months ago. Other than housing, it's one of the most expensive costs for a family, and few part-time jobs offer health care coverage.
The Walgreen program, and others that help the unemployed, are commendable, and I can see the long-term benefit to businesses that try to help out their customers. Hopefully when the recession ends someday, these offers will remain for people who continue to be out of work.
Aaron Crowe is an unemployed journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Read about his job search at www.AaronCrowe.net
From free dress shirts for job interviews, to printing resumes for free or offering to buy back the new car you just bought if you lose your job, many businesses are finding that it makes good business to offer deals or giveaways to the jobless.
Walgreen's Take Care health clinics will offer free visits for the rest of the year to adults who lose their jobs on or after March 31, according to a Reuters story. Spouses, domestic partners and children also qualify if they don't have their own health insurance. A certification form must be completed. Walgreen has a short video on the program.Quest Diagnostics Inc. is offering certain free laboratory tests, such as strep throat and urine cultures, in the "Take Care Recovery Plan." People must prove they are getting government unemployment benefits to qualify for the free visits.
According to the clinic's question and answer web page, the offer includes most services offered at the clinics, including for common family illnesses such as colds, cough, flu, upper respiratory conditions and minor skin conditions. It doesn't apply to healthcare services outside of Take Care Clinics. It also doesn't include wellness services provided at the clinics, such as physicals, vaccinations and health evaluations.
Getting health care is one of the first things the newly unemployed worry about when losing their job. It's one of the main reasons why I continue looking for full-time work after being laid off nine months ago. Other than housing, it's one of the most expensive costs for a family, and few part-time jobs offer health care coverage.
The Walgreen program, and others that help the unemployed, are commendable, and I can see the long-term benefit to businesses that try to help out their customers. Hopefully when the recession ends someday, these offers will remain for people who continue to be out of work.
Aaron Crowe is an unemployed journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Read about his job search at www.AaronCrowe.net
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
4-01-2009 @ 2:52PM
Ed Tazelaar, II said...
Congratulations Walgreens! Like any business, large or small, you too are in business to earn money and grow and I think that most of us realize that fact. However, to also realize that there is a way for your company to help many of the less fortunate by offering this limited free health care for the jobless, is just one wonderful example of what a businesses can do when it wants too!
It would be nice if more businesses, in whatever way that they might, would follow your example of helping those that are in need.
Reply
4-01-2009 @ 6:31PM
arthur lee davis said...
SOUNDS LIKE ALL WINNERS ?
Reply
4-02-2009 @ 11:04AM
Darby said...
Why not tax weed or heroin,you and Walgreens suck,all the money will end up in the ghettos anyway?
Reply
4-01-2009 @ 8:31PM
Linda said...
That's wonderful! Way to go Walgreens! Thank you!
Although I don't qualify because I've been unemployed since December, I still think this is a wonderful step up to the plate.
Reply
4-01-2009 @ 9:08PM
Barb said...
These are the companies that will be remembered and appreciated when
this is all over. I belong to their prescription drug program and
save a great deal of money on prescriptions. I am diabetic and
believe me it is appreciated. I often buy things while there that
cost a little bit more than somewhere else but I would rather give them my
business. Thank you Walgreen's and companies like you. You have my
vote and my business.
Reply
4-01-2009 @ 9:13PM
sylvia said...
Thank you walgreens. Another way for the wellfare trash to get free health care. I guess that's why people who work for a living have to pay 150 dollars a week plus copay for health insurance.
Reply
4-02-2009 @ 10:22AM
springpersephone said...
No, Sylvia, the reason people who work full time have to pay outrageous co-pays is because certain factions in this country won't let us all have national health care, which works just fine in EVERY OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRY in the world.
4-02-2009 @ 1:04PM
kim said...
Sylvia,
Welfare trash as you put it.... probably haven't been working so can't be fired. Also they have free medical care & believe me, they won't be getting ahead of you in line at Walgreen's for free care.
This program sounds like the perfect way to help hard working American's who are finding themselves unemployed on a daily basis.
Kudos to Walgreen's for realizing that these people will continue to be their customer base long after the economy turns around. We will come through this and frequent Walgreen's as a sign of appreciation.
4-02-2009 @ 1:21PM
Jimmy Carter said...
springpersephone,
It doesn't work just fine. I travel to Canada 2 weeks per year and buy my bait from a gentlman with a heart condition who gets slow treatment and lots of red tape. Also, my wife has a cousin in England who had to go out to purchase insurance on their own for their sick child who wasn't getting the proper treatment.
You are too worried about getting something for free (even though we'll be taxed out the wazoo for it) than to realize that when our gov't gets their hands on something, it's all about the red tape. Unfortunately, we have no such thing as bipartisanship and therefore we will never reach our great potential.
4-02-2009 @ 12:24PM
rocker said...
i also pay 425.00 monthly for family healthcare, but have seen people lose there jobs of 20 plus years by closings. i should hope you do not wind up one of these people or i guess you would consider yourself a welfare case with no insurance. think before you write. people are losing jobs and insurance, and these are hard working people.
4-02-2009 @ 1:49PM
Don DeLong said...
I don't wish bad luck on anyone, but I hope the day comes when you will not have a source of income and cannot find a job and you are unwell. Only then may it be possible for you to develop the empathy to have compassion for others. Your mindset of thinking anyone who needs help from other people or the government are automatically lazy trash. How sad for you.It is too bad you didn't experience the appreciation of someone doing something you needed done for you.
4-02-2009 @ 6:40PM
JoAnn said...
Only trash would say such a thing. Hope you wind up the same way others have because of losing their jobs. You really deserve it!
4-01-2009 @ 10:33PM
Cittycat said...
I've never commented on any site...but after reading this how can I not!!! WAY TO GO WALGREEN"S.!!! I'm switching over to you to get my prescriptions now!!!
Reply
4-01-2009 @ 10:26PM
nicole said...
So it's NOT really for the jobless, only for the overindulged unemployed who get paid unemployment, that means in states like mine that refuse to comply with the extra 20 weeks it will be just a few months of a computer diagnosing you and then prescribing medicine you can't afford anyway. And of course people will try to act like walgreems is doing anything, how stupid people are, particularly that useless herd of mediocrity called the middle class
Reply
4-02-2009 @ 8:23AM
Justme said...
Nicole what class would you consider yourself in. I know the class i put you in . . . . . . Snooty (and that is being nice)
4-02-2009 @ 7:57AM
jeanne said...
I think it's great that walgreen's is offering health care, at no cost, to nthise who have become unemployed since March of 2009, but what about those who have been out of work for month's, and still are unable to find work!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply
4-02-2009 @ 10:15AM
Judy said...
The answer here, Jeanne, is that since you have been unemployed for so long, they know that you don't have the money to buy their overpriced prescriptions. Since you don't have the money for that, they don't care if you are sick. This is a "sounds good" thing that most people will think is a good thing. They will flock to Walgreen's, pay more money for everything and end up hurting themselves in the long run. One more example of people allowing themselves to be led by the nose instead of thinking things through.
Sorry for the reality check.
4-02-2009 @ 1:34PM
Jeannie said...
Jeannie there are still jobs out there if people want them, they make only about $7.25 an hour but that is food money for them and their family and keep them off welfare,I would and have worked for less so I wouldnot be dependent on anyone, the more people depends on goverment for walfareand healthcare they too(goverment) will be broke and it will end up like we are today facing socialism,I want my freedom , don't you
4-02-2009 @ 8:01AM
Bonjo said...
I think it's great that Walgreen's is doing this to help unemployed get basic care, but they could do one better and start paying a living wage to their employees as well so their own people can AFFORD to pay for their meds and health care.
Reply
4-02-2009 @ 2:21PM
linda said...
As an employee of Walgreens, I can assure you that we make a decent wage. I am very proud to be a part of a company that makes an effort to help. The company also donates to many charity organizations across the company. They match any employee donation made through fundraisers in their distribution centers.