Tip of the Day: Remember there's strength in numbers

Think your company would benefit from an onsite clinic but can't afford the investment? Trying getting by with a little help from your friends, so to speak.

In a "Five Minutes With ..." podcast this month, Associate Editor Lydell Bridgeford interviews Dr. Bruce Hochstadt, who leads Mercer's worksite clinic consulting group. Hochstadt lets listeners in on new trends in onsite and near-site health clinics, including the growing number of employers banding together to share one clinic to serve all employee populations. Read the accompanying article, “All together, one: Economic woes unite worksite health clinics,” in EBN April 1.

News You Can Use: When it comes to wellness, employees say out of site, out of mind

I have a treadmill in my home, and it's a good thing I do. Otherwise, I likely would not exercise. I have the same attitude toward health care; I prefer to go to retail clinics because I don't need an appointment and their hours fit my schedule. Convenience is king. Apparently, I'm in good company, and employers are noticing.

A recent Mercer survey finds that employers who offer primary care services at an onsite clinic can control health-care costs by providing a lower-cost option and to improve productivity by reducing time lost for workers to receive care offsite. Some 31% of large employers offer occupational health clinics, 14% offer a clinic to provide primary care and 10% are considering adding a primary care clinic this year.

Of course, the inevitable response is: Well sure, we'd love to have an onsite clinic but they're too expensive. However, according to Mercer, some employers have found sharing clinic services to be a workable, cost-saving solution. The survey finds 11% of respondents currently share their clinic with another employers and 13% would consider sharing.

And relating back to my 'convenience is king' argument, Mercer finds that 86% of employers cite “convenience (in terms of time and effort) for their employees” as an important or very important objective in offering an onsite clinic. Among other reasons:
* 77%, better access to preventive care.
* 75%, encouraging employees to make better use of health/wellness programs.
* 74%, control of overall health spend.

For more from EBN on onsite health, click here.

News You Can Use: On-site health clinics are a hit among employees

Just one in five large and mid-size companies offer an onsite health program, states new research by Hewitt Associates -- but that doesn't mean it isn't a popular benefit. Eighty one percent of companies offering onsite clinics (and 95% with onsite pharmacies) are satisfied with the results.

According to the survey, 25% of employees have used onsite medical care and 50% have used onsite pharmacies.

"While onsite health care programs have been slow to catch on with employers—likely due to the complexities involved in offering them—they are attractive to employees because of their convenience and the level of personal interaction they provide," says Marie Kobos, leader of Hewitt's Health and Productivity Solutions group.