A survey finds nearly four in 10 (38%) large U.S. employers with onsite health facilities plan to add new centres over the next two years.
The Towers Watson 2015 Employer-Sponsored Health Care Centers Survey finds a majority of the 120 responding employers that already have onsite or near-site health facilities, or are planning to implement them, share these objectives for their centres: increase productivity (75%), reduce healthcare costs (74%) and improve convenient employee access to healthcare services (66%).
Nearly all centres also offer a similar range of primary care services. Immunizations (99%), care for acute conditions such as upper respiratory and urinary tract infections (99%), and blood draws (95%) top the list.
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By 2018, two-thirds of survey respondents (66%) expect to expand or enhance the already broad services they offer. In addition, employers expect their centres to play an even greater role—above and beyond their current use—in the management and coordination of employee wellness.
Wellness programs are already available at 86% of centres, and lifestyle coaching to promote and reinforce behaviour changes is currently offered at nearly two-thirds (63%).
Employers have also been expanding the scope of their onsite and near-site health centres beyond primary care. Half of employer-sponsored health centres now offer some type of pharmacy services, a considerable increase from 38% in 2012.
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“Pharmacy services interest employers because they offer convenient access to prescription drugs for employees, encourage medication compliance and help decrease overall medical and pharmacy spend,” says Dr. Allan Khoury, senior consultant at Towers Watson.
There’s also growth in telemedicine. More than one-third (35%) offer telemedicine services, with another 12% planning to in the next two years.
“Telemedicine and onsite health centres are perfect complements,” adds Khoury. “They help employers make it easy for employees and other eligible members to see a doctor and get informed medical expertise—even on evenings and weekends. They also support an overall employer strategy of keeping workers productive and eliminating wasteful costs such as unnecessary emergency room visits.”
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Outsourcing to vendors is the most popular option (64%) for managing staffing and services at the health centres. Roughly one-quarter of survey respondents (23%) report that they run the centres themselves, and almost one-fifth (18%) use local or regional provider groups or health systems.
Given cost control pressures, more employers are now measuring their centres’ return on investment (ROI).
Three in four (75%) employers with onsite health centres calculate their ROI, up significantly from 47% in 2012. However, just 12% of employers have the analysis performed by an independent third party; 33% use their vendors, and 30% rely on internal staff analysis.