Improving Healthcare For Labor Unions And Public Employers

Consistently rising healthcare costs are forcing many labor unions and public employers to find new ways to reduce costs and preserve their benefits.

The problem is, making changes can feel glacial. Reaching an agreement between labor and management is often loaded with challenges.

Download Now: Benefit Strategy Design: Solving an Impossible Task

Members are often resistant to change and don’t want to complicate their existing benefits. If healthcare isn't provided by management, members may even feel distrust that their information isn’t being shared with their employer.

So, how can labor unions and public employers do right by their members — many of whom are aging or battling chronic disease issues? The answer might be an onsite care center. Here’s how.

The benefits of an onsite care center to union members

Onsite care centers offer several benefits to labor union members and public employees by making it easier for them to access better care than ever before. Here’s how.

• Independent means trusted — Onsite care centers run by independent, third-party vendors can ease member concerns that their employer and healthcare provider are connected.
• Care center network increases accessibility — Instead of forcing members to use a single care center that’s centrally located, a network of near-site care centers could offer increased accessibility for all members
• Streamlined benefits — Rather than juggling bolt-on wellness programs, members enjoy a comprehensive benefit policy that includes care coordination, health coaching, and nearly all their primary care needs delivered onsite.

But the benefits of an onsite care center aren’t limited just to members. Care centers also benefit from union management.

The benefits of an onsite care center to union management

Union managers and trustees have a commitment to their members to provide the best benefits possible. It’s not an easy job, especially when budgets are tight and every year it gets more and more expensive to keep up with rising claims. For managers caught in this cycle of “spend more, get less,” an onsite care center offers a way out.

With an onsite care center, management can expect:

• Easier communication — Because care plans aren’t segmented and complicated with bolt-on wellness programs and other initiatives, it’s easier to communicate benefits and have members understand them, which leads to higher engagement.
• Clear independence — Onsite care centers that offer financial guarantees for reduced costs make it easy to get relevant stakeholders on board, and demonstrates care center independence from labor or management.
• Engagement and results — Because care is more accessible through a network of care centers and those benefits are easier to understand, member engagement significantly improves. In turn, because members are using their benefits, their health improves and costs are reduced.

Onsite care centers are a win-win for members and union management. Members get better access to high-quality care that they trust. Management gets a benefit package that’s easier to communicate and results in higher engagement. And, both sides can rest easy partnering with a vendor that’s independent from labor and management.

Find out how the City of Kirkland placed an onsite care center at the center of their benefit strategy to significantly reduce costs and improve outcomes. Read their story by downloading this free resource: Benefit Strategy Design: Solving an Impossible Task.