Walgreen's has introduced an amazing new plan to provide free health care to the unemployed.

For the rest of 2009, they'll offer routine treatment and tests for nada to those who are laid off via their Take Care clinics. This offer does not cover prescriptions.

The clinics, which are staffed by nurse practitioners, normally charge $59 for a visit. Walgreen's has no idea what the response will be. The demand may even overwhelm the operations at their 340 clinics across the country.

But compare the spirit of Walgreen's offer to what you find in the hospital business. Sometimes it seems hospital administrators work overtime figuring out how to not treat the uninsured and the unemployed.

Clark likens the Take Care clinic initiative to Miracle on 34th Street with abbreviated banker's hours: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Monday through Friday.

Sometimes the real innovation comes from outside of an industry. Walgreen's and the entire "nurse in a box" field is taking on traditional medicine. After all, there's no reason why we shouldn't have a price list at the doctor's office like you do at a nurse in a box.

There just hasn't been enough competitive pressure…until now.