Retail clinics becoming accepted by major insurers

The rapid rise in retail store clinics was something I wrote about in April. It started out as an all-cash business model, removing the third-payer out of the equation. But getting insurers to pay for services must have been too attractive a proposition to keep them out of the equation for long.

From the "Aetna, Humana reach agreement with InterFit" article printed on Sept. 1 in the Houston Chronicle:

"As we continue to increase the convenience and strive to increase the access through our convenient-care clinics, this is an important step, to add partnerships" with health insurance companies and others, [company spokesman] Hall said. "It gives patients another option for payment."

InterFit's RediClinic is only the second provider of its kind with which Aetna has contracted, Aetna spokeswoman Rachelle Cunningham said Friday.

Earlier this year, the insurer signed a contract with Minneapolis-based MinuteClinic.

To me this seems like the new clinic model is on the road toward mainstream acceptance.