-the launch of a free on-site health clinic, which would operate as an urgent care and occupational health center.
-At our new clinic, employees can visit our dedicated full-time
physician, a nurse practitioner and even have their prescriptions
filled.
IndyGo does more with less | BUSRide Digital
This is innovation, not simply passing on costs to employees like Trimet is doing!
Given that TriMet has some 2,400 employees - plus add to that the dependents, getting rid of conventional healthcare and setting up a clinic may actually be a very cost effective way to go not just for TriMet but for other large, mostly single-site or single-area employers. TriMet does not need to contract with a healthcare provider whose network extends from Seattle to Redding, when 100% of its employees and very close to 100% of the dependents live in an area that's 50 miles by 50 miles. Plus Center Street is quite literally central to the entire region; however smaller clinics could easily be positioned near Merlo and out east.
ReplyDeleteEven my son's school district has an in-school clinic (albeit at the high school, not his school) that is available should we need it.
Of course for employees this would mean the end of picking their own doctor and seeing a doctor closer to their home, but having the doctor at or very close to the workplace is an acceptable compromise. And if it ends up slashing costs (let's face it - there's no profit motive, so there's an instant savings right there)...so much the better.
Steve Novick now on the Portland City Council was wanting to do something like that too. But while an internal clinic could handle many doctor visits, there would still be a need to contract with hospitals, specialists, etc.
ReplyDelete