Dollar General DG Wellbeing Program
In 2020, Dollar General took a step into the healthcare industry as a part of a company-wide initiative, DG Wellbeing. The company announced that it aimed to increase access to healthcare items in rural areas, including a broader range of medical, cough and cold, and feminine hygiene products.
Dollar General took this healthcare initiative further by partnering with mobile health provider DocGo to open retail clinics in three select stores in Tennessee. The clinics will have onsite clinicians, making Dollar General the most recent operator to venture into consumer-focused health clinics. A retail clinic is a type of walk-in clinic that treats minor illnesses, diseases, and offers preventative healthcare services. These clinics are typically found in retail stores, supermarkets, and pharmacies.
As of October 2022, DG Wellbeing was in approximately 3,200 Dollar General stores across the country. In December 2022, Dollar General CEO; Jeff Owen, stated that the initial focus of DG Wellbeing is an increased health offering, consisting of adding approximately 30 percent more square feet of health-care-focused product area in select stores and up to 400 additional healthcare items.
About the Clinics
Approximately 112 million (or 44 percent) of American adults struggle to pay for healthcare, and more than twice that number believe that what they do pay is not worth the price, according to Westhealth. With the need for better, more convenient, and affordable healthcare on the rise, Dollar General took action. The discount retailer’s retail clinics aim to be a gateway to the healthcare system and to drive customers to the business’s other healthcare services, such as food sales, medication fulfillment, and health plan signups.
Medicaid, Medicare, and a few private insurance plans will be accepted in DocGo’s Tennessee clinics, and will be billed at urgent care center rates.
According to the DG Wellbeing website, medical professionals hired at these clinics can provide several healthcare services, including:
- Physicals and routine exams
- Vaccinations and immunizations
- Screening and lab testing
- Management of chronic illnesses like hypertension and diabetes
- Urgent care services like wound care
What’s In Store for the Future?
Dollar General is preparing to create a healthcare advisory panel to assist the Tennessee clinics in developing their overall strategy in health and wellness. Dollar General plans to continue bringing low-cost health and wellness to rural communities for the foreseeable future.
