In today’s business climate, most employers are focused on lowering their healthcare costs. Historically, the cost trend for healthcare has continued to rise with no reprieve in sight. This means that employers are searching for ways to lower their costs while not upsetting their most valuable asset – their people. And trying to modify health plans in the midst of ensuring they are in compliance with the new rules established by the healthcare reform laws is a challenge.

The two most common strategies used by employers to lower their healthcare costs are shifting more of the cost to their employees/dependents and minimizing the use of their health plan through wellness initiatives. And while putting programs in place to incentivize employees to be healthier (consequently lowering healthcare costs and increasing productivity) and giving them tools to seek the lowest cost provider are noble things to do, they only have limited utility in truly lowering cost. In the end, these are all just attempts to use an expensive healthcare delivery system less or spot the least expensive provider in the system. But in these approaches, employees and their dependents are still using the same expensive, fee-for-service based healthcare delivery system. The same system that includes the cost for 5 support/administrative personnel for every doctor in America; the same system that requires the patient to endure all kinds of costs, hassles, and inconveniences.

So, what history has shown is that in spite of all the efforts that benefits consultants and employers go through to lower their healthcare spending and break the trend, it isn’t working. Kaiser reports that over the last five years, both employers and employees have endured double digit increases.

The reason is simple. Employers and benefits consultants cannot change the inherent cost and inefficiencies found in the healthcare delivery system made available to them by their insurance companies.

It is time to Think Differently About Healthcare. If employers combine proven wellness initiatives with access to a lower-cost, higher-quality healthcare delivery system, they now have a winning combination. That’s what we’re already doing with hundreds of employers at WhiteGlove Health. Employers that are working with WhiteGlove give their employees and dependents access to acute care, chronic care, and wellness 365 days a year. The experience is extraordinary, the clinical outcomes are better, and it’s a fraction of the cost. High-quality healthcare that comes to people, not the other way around.

Bob Fabbio
CEO – WhiteGlove Health