It’s NOT a Corporate Healthcare Trap
Thu, Mar 5, 2009
When I talk about my job and what Workplace Health Services does, I sometimes get questions about whether or not onsite healthcare programs trap employees into corporate-mandated healthcare.
These questions usually get asked because people are worried that a company doctor or nurse practitioner may be there to monitor them or make healthcare decisions based on the employer’s needs instead of their own.
This is exactly why we write into every single contract that the onsite practitioner is not there to prevent people from accessing health care through their normal health care plan. Instead, the workplace health clinic is there to offer a more convenient and easily accessible option for personal health care.
The hope is that employees will choose to use onsite health care for their personal health care instead of going offsite during the workday, but they’re never forced into it. And it’s important to remember that our onsite medical professionals are still medical professionals and beholden to the same oaths and principles of ethics whether they’re at your office or jobsite, or outside of it.
Most people respond positively to onsite healthcare services once the benefit is explained to them by their employer and our staff. Workplace health care clinics are convenient, they’re free and they’re there to help. Employees can get prescriptions at no cost, monitor their health at no cost and generally improve the way they feel on a day to day basis. Knowing their employer provides the health services as a benefit in addition to their traditional coverage boosts morale and improves employee retention. And the bonus for the employer is that the onsite clinic saves them money overall on their medical spending.
So, yes, there are people out there who harbor these concerns about privacy and motives. But in the end, bringing more healthcare options into the workplace tends to foster employee trust and improve retention.
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Tags: corporate, healthcare, onsite medical
Jill Mercer is the Business Development Manager at Workplace Health Services. She understands what information business owners, CFOs and HR Executives need to purchase healthcare services, and how to provide a practical and robust solution within a budget.
March 6th, 2009 at 9:34 am
I fully agree! Many people are feeling the pressure of “big brother” these days always trying to force them into something they don’t want to do.
In regards to these clinics, the key is COMMUNICATION. Without it, employees will push back and the clinic will never be a success. If they are fully aware of why the clinic is there and that their employer is trying to help them navigate the healthcare system and provide the best access to care, they will appreciate the benefits of the clinic. Otherwise, utilization will be low and the potential of the clinic will never realized.