Walmart has partnered with healthcare startup General Medicine to expand its Better Care Services platform into a more comprehensive digital healthcare marketplace. The updated service allows consumers to search, compare and access more than 900 healthcare products and services, including virtual and in-person urgent care, primary care, mental health, chronic disease management and laboratory testing.
Originally launched in January as a network for virtual urgent care and behavioral health consultations, Better Care Services now offers a broader range of healthcare options through General Medicine's marketplace infrastructure. Consumers can compare providers based on availability, location, insurance coverage and estimated out-of-pocket costs, including cash prices where available. The platform also provides appointment booking and other service fulfillment options.
The expanded marketplace includes services from General Medicine and more than 10 additional healthcare providers, with plans to add further partners. Customers can access the platform through Walmart.com, the Walmart app or Sparky, Walmart's conversational AI shopping assistant. General Medicine manages the underlying technology and healthcare customer information separately from Walmart's retail operations.
The partnership is part of Walmart's broader strategy to connect healthcare services with its existing pharmacy, grocery and wellness businesses. With approximately 150 million customers visiting Walmart's U.S. physical and digital channels each week, the company sees an opportunity to make healthcare access more convenient by integrating care discovery, appointment booking and prescription fulfillment. Its network of approximately 4,600 pharmacies could also support patients who need medication following a virtual consultation.
The initiative reflects Walmart's shift away from directly operating healthcare clinics after closing its 51 Walmart Health centers in 2024. Instead, the retailer is focusing on a digital marketplace model that connects consumers with third-party providers while leveraging its existing retail and pharmacy infrastructure.
For General Medicine, the partnership represents a significant expansion of its healthcare marketplace technology. Founded by members of the team behind PillPack and Amazon Pharmacy, the company recently raised $120 million in Series B funding and is exploring opportunities to provide similar marketplace infrastructure to other healthcare organizations.
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