Aetna Makes It Easy to Shop for Milk, Strep Test

Hartford, Conn. - Using a simple online search by zip code, Aetna members can find healthcare services at a variety of in-store clinics, the Hartford, Conn., company reports. Last week Aetna, announced its relationship with InterFit Health's RediClinic, Houston, which offers treatment for more than 25 common medical conditions, such as strep throat and ear infections, at health clinics located inside retail locations such as H-E-B in Texas, Wal-Mart in Arkansas and Oklahoma, and Duane Reade in New York. RediClinic also provides health screenings, medical tests, vaccinations, immunizations and physicals. RediClinic also offers a range of preventive health services, including health screenings, medical tests, vaccinations, and basic physical exams. Earlier this year Aetna announced a similar relationship with Minneapolis-based MinuteClinic's walk-in healthcare centers in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Washington, and the Washington, D.C./Maryland Capital area. Aetna, which serves just less than 30 million members, says those members who visit either clinic will pay the specialist office visit copay indicated by their plans. Aetna members can find the location of the nearest in-store clinic by visiting Aetna's "DocFind" directory and searching for a doctor in their zip code, selecting "specialist," identifying their plan, and then choosing "nurse practitioner" for specialty type. Members can also find locations by selecting "other facilities" as the type of provider, identifying their plan, and then choosing "view search results now." In announcing that InterFit Health's RediClinic has become a participating provider, William Hauser, M.D., Aetna's regional medical director for the Southeast and Southwest Regions, points out that as people's lives become busier, retail health clinics such as RediClinic can provide a convenient alternative for certain common health problems when a patient cannot see his or her primary care physician. "We urge members to continue to use their primary care physician as their first recourse for care of common health problems and to recognize that retail clinics are not meant to treat serious illness or emergency situations," he says.   Source: Business Wire