What does it mean? Retail health clinics—also known as convenient care clinics, mini clinics or in-store clinics—are small health-care facilities located in drug stores, grocery stores or big retailers like Target and Wal-Mart. They provide simple, nonemergency services to walk-in patients, regardless of insurance status. They are much cheaper than a traditional doctor's visit because they're generally staffed by nurse practitioners and/or physicians assistants. Retail health clinics have extended hours including nights, weekends, and sometimes even holidays. They charge a set price for common services, everything from sports physicals to treating ear infections. Currently, there are about 1,000 such clinics in the United States, according to the Convenient Care Association, but that number is expected to increase to as many as 1,500 by the end of this year.

Why the buzz? Back in July, Summer Kartchner was hiking in the mountains near Salt Lake City when a bee stung her on the hand. That night her entire hand began to swell and by Saturday morning she knew she needed to have it looked at. It hurt but she didn't think it was bad enough to justify a trip to the emergency room or a clinic, so she decided to try a retail clinic that had recently opened in her local grocery store. Summer got her hand examined within a few minutes and was prescribed an antibiotic to treat the sting. The whole thing took less than an hour and cost just $35, and even that was quickly reimbursed by her health insurance. "It is rare to have such a positive experience with healthcare on both the provider and insurance side," she says.