On-Site Chiropractic Could Lower Employer Healthcare Costs
Employer-sponsored health insurance has increased dramatically as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It is an extremely attractive option for employees as the coverage is not included in their end of the year tax composition. Many employers are growing concerned over the ability to provide adequate care for members of their company. Unfortunately, employers and specifically small business owners are increasingly struggling to fund healthcare programs and are hit with high penalties if they cannot provide care.
The funding allocated to healthcare coverage by an employer varies depending on the size of the company. The actual total of money that is used by employees in healthcare coverage is called healthcare utilization. In 2015, employers are constantly looking for ways to reduce the healthcare utilization of their staff and sometimes the options can seem few and far between. Benchmarking and the encouragement of improved employee health and wellness can help companies manage their staff’s healthcare utilization.
One potential way that employers can cut costs with respect to their employees’ healthcare utilization is to offer chiropractic care onsite at the company facilities. Rather than making employees travel to off-site chiropractic clinics, providing on-site chiropractic services reduces travel and promotes efficiency within the company.
A recent study that has been published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine highlights on-site chiropractic care in reducing the total number of visits to the radiologist for employees as well as a reduction in the recidivism rate in terms of multiple visits to the radiologist. The study did not only cover radiology services, as it concluded that the repetition of other outpatient services was much higher in patients that sought off-site chiropractic care. The study monitored 1,635 members of the Cerner health plan over the course of two years.
While many factors are in play, the correlation between employers providing on-site chiropractic care services and decreased healthcare utilization by employees cannot be ignored. Many employers should take note of this correlation and evaluate ways that they can improve the structure of their employer-based care.
Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of Alisha Vargas