Amazon Isn’t the Only Retail Giant Trying to Remake Health Care
- Walmart experimenting with buying directly from care providers
- If successful, move could cut out middlemen that drive costs
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Amazon.com Inc. says it wants to remake health care for its workers. But its biggest rival is beating it to the punch.
Walmart Inc., the largest private employer in the U.S., has been buying health care for its workers directly from providers in six different regions -- bypassing insurers who usually negotiate with doctors and hospitals. The retailer is trying to find out if its formidable purchasing power can squeeze out middlemen and drive down costs in the same way that its tough bargaining has brought down prices for shoppers.