Healthcare Company Moving into Target Stores in Pilot Project

Nov. 20--FONTANA -- Kaiser Permanente has entered into a pilot program with Target Corp. to create four Target Clinics in Southern California, which would accept a broad array of insurance plans.

"The program marks a distinctive departure from Kaiser's traditional brick- and-mortar approach to delivering medical services," said Dylan Roby, who is director of the Health Economics and Evaluation Research Program at UCLA.

The program this week began a location in north Fontana and two in San Diego. A fourth will be opened Dec. 6 in Fullerton, said Dr. Paul Minardi, medical director, business management, Kaiser Permanente Southern California and Target Clinics in Southern California.

The Target Clinics will be staffed with nurse practitioners and licensed vocational nurses. Kaiser physicians will be available by telemedicine consultations.

The four pilot target clinics will treat walk-in patients and accept any health insurance plan or cash, Minardi said.

Blue Shield of California is on board to cover its customers for services at the Target clinics and the partnership is in process of contracting with Medicare, Medi-Cal and other leading insurance plans, he said.

And the clinics present existing Kaiser Permanente members with an additional convenient point of service, Mindardi said.

There will be no extra charge for Kaiser patients who elect to use the Target clinics during its weekend hours, he said.

Each Target clinic location will occupies about 1,000 square feet and has two examination rooms and one consultation room, Mindardi said.

Roby said the Target Clinics allow patients on other insurance plans other than Kaiser to gain exposure to the Kaiser system of medical services delivery.

"And other insurers pay Kaiser to do this," Roby said.

Minardi said that was not the intent of the program.

Having spent many years as a Kaiser physician in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Minardi said he is "well aware how underserved this region is."

With the Affordable Care Act allowing more people than ever before to have health insurance, the demand for medical services is likely to soar, he said.

Kaiser Permanente wanted to be part of the solution to meet the needs of the community, Mindardi said.

The pilot program will be carefully watched and perhaps modified.

If successful it will likely be rolled out across Southern California and be introduced to new regions as well, he said.

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