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BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Now Accepted at Nashville Take Care Health Clinics

Posted on: Tuesday, 29 April 2008, 12:01 CDT

Take Care Health Systems, one of the largest managers of convenient care clinics and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens (NYSE:WAG) (NASDAQ:WAG), has begun accepting BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee at all 12 Take Care Health Clinics located at Nashville-area Walgreens. With the addition of BlueCross which covers nearly one-third of Nashville's insured individuals, approximately 80 percent of insured residents in the Nashville area can receive treatment at a Take Care Health Clinic for just the cost of their normal co-payment or co-insurance amount.

BlueCross plans accepted at Take Care Health Clinics will include Network P/Blue Preferred, Network S/Blue Select and Network V/CoverTN, in addition to BlueCross Federal Employee Program and out-of-state BlueCard.

"We are pleased to offer BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee members another option for high-quality, convenient and affordable health care," said Donna Finto-Burks, Lead Take Care Nurse Practitioner in Nashville. "Since Take Care Health Clinics opened in Nashville last November, the community has embraced the experience at our clinics and our patient-first philosophy. We look forward to serving even more local residents."

Take Care Health Clinics, staffed by board-certified family nurse practitioners, offer patients 18 months and older diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses such as strep throat, ear and sinus infections, pink eye and poison ivy. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee insured residents can now visit a Take Care Health Center for the cost of a co-pay or co-insurance. For uninsured patients or cash payers, the average fee per visit ranges from $59-$74.

Nashville-area Take Care Health Clinics are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. They are located at the following Walgreens drugstores:

Bellevue -- 7601 Highway 70 S.

La Vergne -- 5000 Murfreesboro Road

Franklin -- 9100 Carothers Pkwy.

Lebanon -- 1303 W Main St.

Franklin -- 1509 Murfreesboro Road

Murfreesboro - 2401 Old Fort Pkwy.

Gallatin -- 585 Nashville Pike

Nashville -- 3500 Gallatin Pike

Hendersonville -- 198 E Main St.

Nashville - 5555 Edmondson Pike

Hermitage -- 400 Tulip Grove Road

Smyrna -- 400 Sam Ridley Pkwy.

Additional insurance plans covering a visit to Take Care Health Clinics in Nashville include:

Aetna

Humana

ChoiceCare

Medicare

Cigna

Multiplan / PCHS

Coventry

UnitedHealthcare

Great West

Specific plan names can be found at www.takecarehealth.com.

Take Care Health Systems uses nationally recognized, evidence-based clinical guidelines for treatment and electronic medical record technology allowing patients to take visit records to their other providers, promoting continuity of care. Take Care Nurse Practitioners follow quality and safety standards as outlined by the Convenient Care Association, the industry's trade association, and are aligned with guidelines for retail clinics set by the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Association.

Take Care Health Systems is part of Walgreens new Health and Wellness Division. Walgreens recently announced plans to acquire I-trax, Inc. (AMEX: DMX) of Chadds Ford, Penn., parent company of CHD Meridian Healthcare, LLC, and privately held Whole Health Management of Cleveland, two leading operators of worksite health clinics. Including 162 Take Care Health Clinics nationwide, Walgreens will have more than 500 worksite and retail health clinics under the Health and Wellness Division upon closing of the transactions.

About Take Care Health Systems

Take Care Health Systems (www.takecarehealth.com), one of the largest managers of convenient care clinics, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens. The Company combines best practices in health care and the expertise and personal care of providers to deliver access to high-quality, affordable, convenient health care to all individuals. Take Care Health Clinics are located at select Walgreens drugstores nationwide, where nurse practitioners and physician assistants focus exclusively on the diagnosis and treatment of common family illnesses, vaccinations, physicals and screenings. Take Care Health Systems currently manages 162 Take Care Health Clinics in 16 cities throughout 13 states, with plans to have more than 400 clinics in operation by the end of 2008. The Company maintains a detailed quality assurance program including collaborating physician review to promote quality care, patient safety and state scope of practice compliance. Patient care is provided by Take Care Health Services, an independently owned state professional corporation established in each market.

About Walgreens

Walgreens is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2007 sales of $53.8 billion. The company operates 6,271 stores in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Walgreens is expanding its patient-first health care services beyond traditional pharmacy through Walgreens Health Services, its managed care division, and Take Care Health Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary that manages 162 convenient care clinics at Walgreens drugstores. Walgreens Health Services assists pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives Inc. (a pharmacy benefit manager), Walgreens Mail Service Inc., Walgreens Home Care Inc., Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy LLC and SeniorMed LLC (a pharmacy provider to long-term care facilities). More information about Walgreens is available at www.Walgreens.com.

Source: Business Wire

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