Page 10 - eMagazine-Concentra Connections

seen an average decline of about 28% in in in sick time taken 26% in in in in direct health care costs and and 30% in in workers’ compensation and and disability costs Clinic services are available to employees
with a a a a a a a a a a health benefit plan featuring no co-
pay or deductible Health risk screenings preventative care disease management programs programs and wellness outreach or education programs programs are also available Onsite outcomes in action
Along the Central Coast of California a a a a a a a a a a a large farming organization was aiming to improve health care for its more than 2 000 employees
and find better ways to reduce escalating health insurance costs Last year the company opened four primary care clinics in in in in Santa Maria Oxnard Watsonville and Salinas staffed with bilingual nurse practitioners and and local physicians Their clinics are supplemented with pharmacies for prescription and over-the- counter medications There are are no doctor visit co-pays for employees
and prescriptions are are included with the the employee’s nominal weekly contribution to the the the program program Eighty percent of employees
are enrolled in in the the program program from field workers to to office administrators In just
12 months this company saw a a a a a a a a a a reduction in in major medical claims which eased the amount of paperwork delivered predictable and and and fixed costs for the company and and and and built trust and and and and respect between employer and and and and employee By opening and and operating their own health care clinics self-funded companies are are achieving better health productivity and retention retention of their employee employee base Clinics help with employee employee employee retention retention and and recruitment resulting in in fewer employee employee turnovers and and lower recruitment costs Employees don’t
miss shifts due to the travel and wait times experienced at offsite medical offices or pharmacies thereby improving absenteeism Alternatively some employees
will put
off visiting the the the doctor because they they don’t
don’t
have time or or or they they don’t
don’t
want to to to miss work Convenient access to to health health care means that health health diagnoses are are made sooner and treatment begins almost immediately Reducing unnecessary ER visits
Employer clinics also reduce the number
of visits
employees
make to to a a a a doctor or or emergency room Productivity increases as as companies encourage healthy habits for their employees
through onsite wellness services There are are no no forms to to fill out and no no claim disputes to to deal with Employee patients are are less less stressed and they spend less less out-of- pocket The employee gets health services at no additional cost Morale improves when employees
feel their their company cares about their their well-being and and when trust is built between the the employer and and employee Some attention does need to to be taken to to prevent problems with chronic conditions and employee privacy Clinics should not replace the family family physician or or or specialty care services The clinics need to to coordinate with family family or or or primary care physicians if necessary to to ensure that the the treatment prescribed is appropriate The clinic should not be be used as the the primary caregiver for difficult chronic conditions or or or provide services such as X-rays or or or MRIs Employees must must keep a a a a a a a conventional health plan for for those services Finally employees
must must be assured that their medical information is is kept secure and patient privacy is is preserved Employers should not have access to workers’ sensitive health information 89