Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts has added Eden Health, On Belay Health Solutions and VillageMD to its primary care network. The physician groups will provide both virtual and in-person care to members.

Patients are struggling to find the right care, and that’s because the healthcare system is fragmented, according to Andrea Walsh, president and CEO of HealthPartners, an integrated healthcare provider and insurance company. Walsh made these comments Wednesday at the HIMSS 2023 conference in Chicago.

Analysts predict that disruptors could own as much as 30% of the $260 billion primary care market by 2030. A recent report from the American Hospital Association outlines major moves the healthcare industry should be watching this year from disruptors like Amazon, CVS and Walgreens — from billion-dollar acquisitions of primary care companies to expanding clinic locations to efforts in the home care space.

Tim Barry, CEO of VillageMD, is encouraged by the shift he’s seeing to value-based care, but is worried that new technologies could create a fragmented system. He made these comments after the value-based company announced Thursday that it completed its $8.9 billion acquisition of Summit Health-City MD.

To combat this issue, Joan Harvey of Evernorth stressed the importance of an omnichannel care model that leverages both in-person and virtual care. She made these comments at the HLTH conference in Las Vegas.

The combined organization will have more than 680 provider locations in 26 markets. With CVS Health and Amazon both making major acquisitions, the Summit Health deal was both offensive and defensive for Walgreens, one expert said.

The company launched a new health division, and has doubled down on its plans to open primary care clinics with VillageMD. It faces big competitors in CVS and Walmart, and it’ll take time to see if its new strategy pays off.

Walgreens plans to invest a total of $5.2 billion in VillageMD, up from its original plans to buy a $1 billion stake in the primary care company. It’s part of a broader consumer health strategy Walgreens plans to use to grow its business in the future.

As part of a partnership with primary care provider VillageMD, Walgreens plans to open 29 clinics in Texas this year. In total, the companies plan to open at least 600 clinics over the next four years. 

VillageMD, a primary care startup that has Walgreens as a big backer, is reportedly planning to go public. The company has plans to open hundreds of co-located primary care clinics at Walgreens pharmacies. 

The retailer plans to open primary care clinics in Houston, El Paso, Austin, Phoenix and Orlando by next summer as part of its partnership with startup VillageMD.

Facing declining retail traffic, particularly overseas, Walgreens posted a net loss of $1.7 billion for the quarter ending on May 31. The company still has a long road ahead, but analysts said they liked its long-term strategy with VillageMD.

Walgreens plan to open hundreds of VillageMD clinics at its stores in the next five years. It would be the first major move by Walgreens to staff its locations with primary care physicians.

Healthcare startups saw smaller amounts of investment after a record-breaking 2018, according to a report from Silicon Valley Bank. Despite the dip in funding, 2019 saw more deals overall, led by increased investment into healthcare technology companies.

In partnership with clinic operator VillageMD, Walgreens plans to open five 2,500-square-foot in-store clinics in the Houston area by the end of the year.