Walgreens offering free health care.

Walgreens has started a new free health care assistance program that is providing aid to some unemployed Americans by offering them free visits to its in-store health care clinics. This assistance is provided to those who no longer have jobs or health insurance, and it applies to people who have lost their jobs after March 31. The program runs thru the end of the year.

The one of its kind offer from Walgreens, which is now beginning over one year into the current weak economy and recession, only applies to those people in need of help who have lose their jobs on or after March 31. The program is very inclusive in that domestic partners, spouses and children also qualify for the free health care if they do not have their own health insurance from other sources.

The aid is offered to someone who has already paid for a visit to one of the Take Care clinics. The clinics are very effective at providing check ups and treating minor health issues. For example, a typical visit to one of the Walgreen clinics, which usually treat minor ailments such as colds, will typically cost $59 or more for patients with no existing health insurance. The typical treatments provided include treatment of:

• Respiratory illnesses, sinus infections, colds, bronchitis as well as strep throat.
• Skin conditions, such as poison ivy, dry skin, burns, and minor skin infections.
• Common medical conditions, such as pink eye and seasonal allergies.

People seeking help must be able to prove that they are out of work and that they are currently receiving or will receive government unemployment benefits in order to qualify for the free health care services. The health care services are being offered weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Other companies are also offering free medical care, such as Pfizer providing free medications for the unemployed.

Walgreen’s currently runs more than 330 in-store health care clinics and also operates clinics at nearly 370 work sites. Almost 1.5 million people have received aid from these clinics.