Understanding On-Site Clinics
Understanding On-Site Clinics Understanding On-Site Clinics October 1, 2018
An on-site clinic is where an employer offers one or more medical and wellness services to all or most of their employee population and other individuals who are eligible. These services provided at the clinics are all delivered by licensed providers and are more often referred to as “health and wellness centers” because of the variety of care ranging from first aid, occupational health, acute, primary, specialty, condition management, wellness and ancillary services. The clinics originally started as occupational health clinics, where they treated minor injuries and served workplace health and safety needs, but have now expanded in to primary care.
On-site clinics are usually apart of the health benefits that an employer offers to its employees. The objective for companies to have an on-site clinic is to provide easy access and immediate attention, at little or no cost, for a variety of services and products that an employee would normally have to leave the work location to receive.
Due to the fact that having on-site clinics cut down on time employees take to go to their doctor’s appointments, meaning more time for work, these on-site clinics are quickly gaining in popularity; especially among mid-large employers of all industries. These facilities can be sponsored by public or private employers, union groups or other plan sponsors. Even smaller employers can have a nurse or other provider offer screenings, preventive care, coaching or minor services at minimal cost and still reap the benefits.
Why?
With most industry sectors reporting the total cost of employee health care above $10,000 per employee and increasing at rates more than inflation doubled, the on-site clinic model would be a great investment. On-site primary care for all insured employees and their dependents combined with incentives for clinic use and better personal health are proving to save employers significant dollars, keeping their health care costs at or below inflation while reducing their employee’s point of care costs. The net results show that employers have more funds available to spend on retaining and recruiting quality talent and their current employees are healthier, happier and more productive.
Benefits of Having an On-Site Clinic:
- Offering convenient access to health care services will reduce the lost productivity that results from a worker taking 3-4 hours to leave work, travel, wait for and see health care providers and to obtain drugs and services
- Making first aid and critical services available at the work location will reduce the use and cost of hospital emergency rooms (highest cost setting for obtaining medical services)
for non-emergency conditions - Providing low or no cost resources and treatment will increase use of preventive and wellness services and programs, lessening the severity of common illnesses, enhancing management of chronic conditions that require regular check ups, improving medication compliance and patient outcomes overall
- Investing in the well-being of employees with workplace ‘health and wellness’ benefits can help attract and retain employees – clinics are often viewed as the most popular benefit by workers
- Delivering medical, pharmacy and therapy services at the work location will reduce overaIl costs, as there will be no required revenue margins placed on top of the services or products provided to patients at the clinic
