Dive Brief:
- Mercer's 2014 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans discovered that the number of employers providing on-site or near-site employee clinics increased 5%, up to 29% from 24 percent the prior year.
- Approximately 72% of the 134 respondents with clinics said managing employee health risk and chronic conditions is an important clinic objective.
- Other key survey findings include 68% said improving access to care was important, 63% said the clinic reduced lost work days and 58% said it successfully helped members control chronic conditions.
Dive Insight:
An IRS notice issued in February suggested that clinical care costs must be counted in the Affordable Care Act's excise tax calculation. An almost equal percentage of respondents stated they believe the clinic will hurt them because of the excise tax calculation versus those who believe it will help - by maintaining costs of the company health plan. But 46% of respondents said they were unsure how the clinic will affect the calculation.
Despite the majority of respondents who believe their clinics are successful, less than half were able to provide return on investment (ROI) data. Most reported an ROI of 1.00 to 1.99, and only 5% had a ROI of less than 1.00. Utilization was high - 45% of employees used a clinic in 2014.
David Keyt, principal at the National Onsite Clinic Center of Excellence Leader, said: "For many employers, employee satisfaction is a more important measure of success than ROI. If employees are using the clinic, it means they haven't been taking time off work to visit a doctor, and that they're getting the medical care they need to stay healthy and productive."