Target's Urgent Care Clinics

With a twisted spin on transparency of cost and ease of service, many Target stores (as well as Walmart, etc.) offer urgent care medical services.  Below is half of the cost schedule listed on the Target website (i couldn't get it to format properly, but follow the link for the full amount):

• Minor Illnesses
• • • Allergies $59
• Bladder Infection $69*
• Cold $59
• Conjunctivitis/Pink Eye $59
• Cough or Bronchitis $59
• Earache $59
• Flu $94
• Mono $69
• Sinus Infection $59
• Sore Throat $69*

• Minor Injuries
• Bruise $59
• Insect Bite or Sting $59
• Minor Burn $59
• Splinter Removal $59
• Stitch Removal $59
• Wound Check $59

• Skin Treatments
• Acne $59
• Athlete's Foot $59
• Cold Sore $59
• Earlobe Piercing $19 per piercing
• Eczema $59
• Impetigo $59
• Poison Ivy or Poison Oak $59
• Rash $59
• Ringworm $59
• Shingles $59
• Skin Infection $59
• Wart Treatment $59††

Most of these services and costs are obscenely insane.  Bypassing some of the more sane pricing (immunizations, free BP checks, etc.) we come to remainder of services which are either grossly overpriced or improper ways to practice medicine.  For example, Target sells self-administered pregnancy tests for about $15, but charge $49 at the clinic.  Unless they are doing blood pregnancy tests, which I highly doubt, you're paying 3x the amount for essentially the same product.  

Next, what exactly is the treatment for 'bruises', for which one has to pay $59 to have diagnosed.  Logically, however, if you know you have bruises, can't you just look it up at the public library or the internet and realize...there's no real treatment?  Doesn't this hold for most of the diagnosis - many visits to a clinic are to make a diagnosis of an unknown sign or symptom - how can you be charged a priori for the diagnosis?  

But most perversely, the incentives for over-treatment are quite high.  The cost of being seen for 'cough or bronchitis' is $59.  As it is for a 'cold' or 'impetigo'.  Now in the vast majority of these ailments, the treatment is...NOTHING! Rest, conservative treatment and these things go away.  Of course, it's unlikely that Target will have many repeat customers if they prescribe this conservative treatment and the perverse incentive is for them to send customers away with something.  

And therein lies a fundamental problem with fee-for-se

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