Onsite Medical Clinics: Battling Rising Healthcare Costs

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Amy Gallagher, GoLocal Business/Health Expert

Medical clinics at your business location: possible cost savings

In an effort to curb rising healthcare costs, a growing number of companies are shifting their focus and looking inside for opportunities. A common solution? Onsite medical clinics.

The convenient sites – run by the employer or an outside vendor – are showing up nationwide in all types of work environments, from Fortune 500 companies to government offices. Designed to get employees to be more proactive about their healthcare, the clinics make easy to be seen for everything from check-ups and lab work to x-rays and disease management.

With help just steps from their cubicles, the idea is that employees will seek care sooner. The results of improved access? More preventive care, fewer specialist visits, better outcomes and reduced absenteeism.

Lower Costs

Onsite clinics were designed for one reason: to reduce healthcare spending. Employers facing double-digit premium increases each year need to get creative, and the clinics deliver results through reduced medical claims. A visit to a clinic costs the employer far less than when an employee sees their personal physician or specialist. Avoiding an ER trip or hospital stay saves even more.

And employers aren’t the only ones who benefit. Many companies offer the services for free or at a reduced cost, saving workers on out-of-pocket co-pay expenses.

Prevention and Productivity

With the focus on ease, employees are encouraged to seek care early. The clinics are staffed to aid with chronic health conditions and treat minor illnesses and injuries before they become more serious, cutting down on lost days from work. Plus, a visit to an onsite clinic takes just a fraction of the time of an outside service, upping productivity.

Another advantage? Many sites offer the services to employees’ family members as well, adding to the convenience and saving workers even more time.

Driving Usage

Like leading a horse to water, a clinic brings care to consumers, but you can’t make them use it. And utilization is critical to driving cost savings. So how can you encourage employees to take advantage of onsite care?

Communication is key. Be sure to create comprehensive outreach to educate employees about the high quality of care, convenient services and reduced payments the on-site professionals offer. And don’t forget to address common employee concerns. Explain that employees won’t lose their current healthcare benefits by using the clinic, or can always continue to see their personal doctor or specialist instead. And tell workers that the clinics must meet state and federal regulations regarding the privacy of patient information, just like any other healthcare setting.

Amy Gallagher has over 19 years of healthcare industry experience. As Vice President at Cornerstone Group, she advises large employers on long-term cost-containment strategies, consumer-driven solutions and results-driven wellness programs. Amy speaks regularly on a variety of healthcare-related topics.