WALMART

The explosive growth in the at-risk elderly population has spawned a corresponding explosion in the number of baby boomers who find themselves caring for aging parents. In response, start-up companies have sprung up offering new services and solutions to help these caregivers help their parents remain independent, mobile and in their own homes as long as possible.

everythingHEALTH’s Mary Alice Lawless (left) and UnitedHealthcare’s Shannon Huneke (right)

As health insurers continue to work closer with retailers to improve access to patient care, UnitedHealthcare is among a handful of companies at the forefront of this increasingly collaborative approach.

Health care, said Katya Hancock, “is very different than other industries.” Given the fragmented, piecemeal way the health system has evolved and the urgent challenges posed by skyrocketing costs, inconsistent care standards and wide gaps in the gathering and sharing of vital patient data, it’s no wonder that the health industry is ripe for innovation and new solutions, she told participants at the Retail Health Summit.

According to Medline chief marketing officer Stu Schneider, it’s time for retailers and consumer health companies to start looking at the current diabetes care market like an iceberg. With more than 37% of Americans diagnosed as prediabetic, the current market for diabetes management and monitoring is really just the tip of the iceberg.

When RB North America president Alexander Lacik thinks about his 18-year-old son, he doesn’t doubt that it’s possible he might live longer than 100 years. His concern is where his son will get the knowledge to lead a healthy lifestyle — something Lacik said could be a big role for Walmart, particularly in the vitamins, minerals and supplements category.

BALTIMORE - Walmart, with the support of Corrective Education Company, on Tuesday donated $200,000 to the "Badges for Baseball" program, part of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.

Badges for Baseball is a juvenile crime prevention initiative created in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice. It's a simple concept: pair kids together with members of law enforcement to play and learn.

As the company behind Purell hand sanitizer, Gojo’s “big, hairy, audacious goal,” as described by the company’s VP hygiene sciences and public health advancements Jim Arbogast, is to “bring well-being to 1 billion people every day.” And the company’s strategy for how retailers can help with that goal is based on extensive research Gojo has done about how best to provide hand hygiene touchpoints.

The mounting costs of health care and the rise of high-deductible health plans are biting deep into Americans’ pocketbooks as payers shift more of the cost burden onto their members. Meanwhile, public and private plan payers are demanding more cost-effective modes of front-line care and shifting the focus to wellness, disease prevention and successful outcomes.