Walmart is in the early stages of talks to buy health insurer Humana, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Many Walmart stores have a pharmacy. Acquiring Humana could help jump-start that effort and give Walmart greater clout in the health care industry, according to media outlets. The deal would also lower costs for Walmart's 1.5 million employees.
Walmart's rival Amazon announced plans this year of becoming a bigger player in over-the-counter medicines. Amazon does sell medicines and medical supplies such as Tylenol, Band-Aids and thermometers on its website. And last summer, it launched a line of private-label medicines manufactured exclusively for Amazon by Dublin-based Perrigo. In addition, this year the online retailer announced plans to team up with JPMorgan and Berkshire Hathaway to lower healthcare costs for their workers.
