Christina Farr, CNBC:
Apple is launching a group of health clinics called AC Wellness for its own employees and their families this spring, according to several sources familiar with the company’s plans.
The company quietly published a website, acwellness.com, with more details about its initiative and a careers page listing jobs including primary care doctor, exercise coach, and care navigator, as well as a phlebotomist to administer lab tests on-site.
And:
Sources said that it started notifying third-party vendors about the shift to its own network of health clinics this week.
And:
Sources said the company will leverage its medical clinics as a way to test out its growing range of health services and products, which it is starting to roll out to consumers at large.
Will Apple roll out health clinics to serve consumers, rather than just employees? Not clear, but certainly seems a possibility.
Digging through the AC Wellness site, I found a corporate address, which is located adjacent to an Apple Fitness Center. Via Google Maps, here’s a pic of the sign at the AC Wellness address:
Interesting.
This is what comes of the utter mess that is health insurance in the US. It’s probably cheaper for Apple to set up its own line of health clinics, staffed by people whose salaries it sets, than it is to provide regular health insurance to its employees.
The downside, of course, is that if you don’t like the doctor at your employer’s special employees only health clinic, you are screwed.
apple care!
Another moated castle.