June 15, 2020
By Lori Flees, Senior Vice President, Health & Wellness, Sam’s Club, & Sean Slovenski, Senior Vice President, Health & Wellness, Walmart U.S.
In our work to help people live better, bringing people new and convenient ways to live healthier is a key step. That’s why we’re excited to announce that Walmart has acquired specific assets – the technology platform, patents and key intellectual property – of CareZone, which offers a worry-free way to organize health information and access vital health services. CareZone has developed a mobile app that helps individuals and families manage medicine and chronic illness for each member of the household. Families can use the app to scan labels or insurance cards to speed and simplify the process.
We’re also excited to welcome the members of CareZone’s product and technology team that built their app, and who will help us innovate and integrate faster with Walmart’s existing systems. The technology and team members joining Walmart will augment our current Health & Wellness capabilities and support our focus on digital health care solutions. CareZone will remain a separate company unrelated to Walmart.
“The goal of any technology startup is to build a product or experience that touches the lives of as many people as possible,” said Walter Smith, co-founder and chief technology officer of CareZone. “Adding our technology platform to Walmart’s existing digital capabilities and physical reach creates a unique opportunity to redefine what the future of digital health and wellness can look like. The CareZone team members joining Walmart are excited to bring our knowledge and apply it to such a broad canvas.”
According to a survey of U.S. customers conducted by our consumer insights team, cost is the top barrier to healthcare for 43% of Walmart shoppers, followed by convenience (27%) and access (22%). Additionally, 40% of those surveyed have delayed medical care. This is why Walmart is focused on delivering innovative solutions to increase access to affordable and convenient healthcare across our business. It’s why we introduced our groundbreaking $4 prescription program years ago, and it’s why we recently launched Walmart Health in Georgia to offer key healthcare services at affordable prices.
Acquiring the technology platform of CareZone is another example of our continued commitment to helping lower the cost of healthcare for our 160 million customers who shop Walmart each week, while offering convenient options across multiple channels to help them manage their health and wellness.
