Finally a reason to go to walmart

I wish they would open some of these clinics in walmarts or walgreens around here. What a sanity saver for the un or underinsured! The only problem is when flu season hits and you've got 88 poeple waiting to see the nurse who are germing up Walmart even worse than it already is.

My question: Are they armed with an RX pad from a physician? If not, don't bother. Just take a few steps past the clinic into the OTC remedy isles.

If they are, then it's great to be able to pay for a visit and to get your prescription with one sick kid in one sick place, which has lysol and kleenex to boot.

Some clinics, such as MinuteClinic, post their services and prices like a cafe menu for all to see. Services and prices vary among different clinics. For example, a meningitis vaccine is $110, the most expensive item on MinuteClinic's menu, said Dr. Woodburn. A flu shot is $30. An exam for strep throat is $49 plus the $10 for a rapid strep test and another $15 for a throat culture.

RediClinic, on the other hand, features a fixed-price menu where all diagnostic tests are a flat $45. There are also differences between the clinics in whether they accept insurance. RediClinic, said Web Golinkin, chief executive officer of Houston-based Interfit Health, which owns RediClinic, is "purely a cash business" but is considering allowing third-party payments.

I'm game.