MADISON, N.J., March 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Quest Diagnostics
Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing,
information and services, will provide strep and urine cultures and other
select laboratory testing services for free to qualified patients served
through the Take Care Recovery Plan, which is an offer, announced by Walgreens
(NYSE, Nasdaq: WAG) and Take Care Health Systems, to provide free health care
services at Take Care Clinics. The offer is available to qualified patients,
including Take Care Clinic patients, and their immediate family members, who
lose their job on or after March 31, 2009, and are uninsured. The offer runs
through the end of the year.
"Quest Diagnostics recognizes that many American families are struggling
to afford quality laboratory testing services during the current economic
downturn," said Steve Burton, vice president, Health and Wellness Services,
Quest Diagnostics. "Our participation in the Take Care Recovery Plan will help
more patients to access our laboratory testing services. We look forward to
participating in the Take Care Recovery Plan, which will extend the range of
financial assistance programs Quest Diagnostics has long provided to patients
grappling with financial hardship."
"Like Quest Diagnostics, Walgreens and Take Care Health Systems recognize
that financial hardships are forcing many individuals to choose among basic
necessities such as health care, housing and food," said Hal F. Rosenbluth,
president of Walgreens Health and Wellness division and chairman of Take Care
Health Systems. "Quest Diagnostics' generous offer to provide laboratory
testing services for free to qualified Take Care Clinic patients will help
more individuals benefit from Quest's exceptional lab testing services and
meet the basic health care needs for them and their families."
Through its participation in the Take Care Recovery Plan, Quest
Diagnostics will provide routine laboratory testing services for conditions
within the clinic's scope of services when point-of-care testing is not
available. Based on prior experience serving Take Care Clinic patients, Quest
Diagnostics expects the vast majority of the free testing services it will
provide through the Take Care Recovery Plan to be cultures for strep throat
and other respiratory ailments and full urine cultures to detect infections of
the bladder or urinary tract.
In addition to its collaboration with Walgreens and Take Care Health
Systems, Quest Diagnostics provides a range of financial assistance and
payment plan options to its patients. For example, Quest Diagnostics offers
financial assistance that includes reduced-fee or free laboratory testing
services for patients who can demonstrate that they cannot afford to pay for
the entire cost of services. The company also provides payment plan options to
patients, including those with health plan coverage. For more information on
qualifications for financial assistance and payment plans, visit
QuestDiagnostics.com/PatientAssistancePrograms.
For more information on the Take Care Recovery Plan and to determine
qualification, including accessing applicable forms, visit
www.takecarerecoveryplan.com or call 1-866-Take-Care (1-866-825-3227).
About Take Care Health Systems
Take Care Health Systems (www.takecarehealthsystem.com), a wholly owned
subsidiary of Walgreens and part of Walgreens Health and Wellness division, is
the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness
centers and convenient care clinics in the country. TCHS is comprised of Take
Care Consumer Solutions (www.takecarehealth.com) and Take Care Health Employer
Solutions (www.takecareemployersolutions.com). Take Care Consumer Solutions
manages Take Care Clinics at select Walgreens drugstores throughout the
country. Patient care at each of the Take Care Clinics is provided by Take
Care Health Services, an independently owned state professional corporation
established in each market. Take Care Health Employer Solutions manages
primary care, health and wellness, occupational health, pharmacy and fitness
centers at large employer campuses. Combined, Take Care Health Systems
manages more than 700 worksite and retail health care centers.
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with
fiscal 2008 sales of $59 billion. The company operates 6,679 drugstores in 49
states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Walgreens provides the most
convenient access to consumer goods and services and cost-effective pharmacy,
health and wellness services in America through its retail drugstores,
Walgreens Health Services division and Walgreens Health and Wellness division.
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). Walgreens Health and Wellness division includes Take Care
Health Systems (www.takecarehealthsystem.com), the largest and most
comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store
convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics is the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing,
information and services that patients and doctors need to make better
healthcare decisions. The company offers the broadest access to diagnostic
testing services through its network of laboratories and patient service
centers, and provides interpretive consultation through its extensive medical
and scientific staff. Quest Diagnostics is a pioneer in developing innovative
diagnostic tests and advanced healthcare information technology solutions that
help improve patient care. Additional company information is available at
www.questdiagnostics.com.
The statements in this press release which are not historical facts may be
forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance
on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date that they are
made and which reflect management's current estimates, projections,
expectations or beliefs and which involve risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results and outcomes to be materially different. Risks and
uncertainties that may affect the future results of the company include, but
are not limited to, adverse results from pending or future government
investigations, lawsuits or private actions, the competitive environment,
changes in government regulations, changing relationships with customers,
payers, suppliers and strategic partners and other factors discussed in
"Business" in Part I, Item 1, "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Factors that May
Affect Future Results" in Part I, Item 1A, "Legal Proceedings" in Part I, Item
3, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations" in Part II, Item 7 and "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures
About Market Risk" in Part II, Item 7A in the company's 2008 Annual Report on
Form 10-K and other items throughout the Form 10-K and Current Reports on Form
8-K.
SOURCE Quest Diagnostics Incorporated
CONTACT: Wendy Bost (Media), +1-973-520-2800, or Laure Park (Investors),
+1-973-520-2900
Web Site: http://www.questdiagnostics.com
(DGX DGX WAG)