NEW YORK — Duane Reade walk-in clinics can now accept Medicare payments for routine health services provided to senior citizens.
The metropolitan New York drug store chain, part of Walgreen Co., said Monday that the federal government has certified the New York Walk-In Medical Group to receive payments for services under the Medicare program. The medical practice group runs Duane Reade’s DR Doctor On-Premises health clinics inside select stores in Manhattan.
Unlike most other drug store health clinics, the DR Doctor On-Premises facilities are staffed by doctors, who Duane Reade said can take care of most common ailments, minor injuries, routine screenings and vaccinations as well as provide referrals to specialists. The medical practice is affiliated with Beth Israel Medical Center and St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in Manhattan.
The number of patients treated in DR Doctor On-Premises clinics recently topped 100,000, according to Dr. Maggie Bertisch, M.D., medical director for New York Walk-In Medical Group. Duane Reade noted that having the ability to accept Medicare payments means the medical group can now offer convenient and affordable health care to more seniors.
"Duane Reade is pleased to help bring New Yorkers convenient routine medical care through its association with the DR Doctor On-Premises Walk-In Medical Care facilities," Frank Scorpiniti, senior vice president of pharmacy operations at Duane Reade, said in a statement. "And now with the acceptance of Medicare at these facilities, we are truly ‘making New York Living Easy’ for Duane Reade’s patients and customers."
The DR Doctor On-Premises Walk-In Medical Care facilities are managed by Consumer Health Services Inc. (CHS), a provider of on-site, physician-directed consumer health centers.
