FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions about CEBRS’ Endorsed Employee Retention and Benefits Program
1. How long has this “Wellness Clinic Provider” (PROVIDER) been in business?
PROVIDER began in 2009 when a hospital CEO joined with a former CEO of a large national fast food chain
to form PROVIDER. From its first clinic in Bloomington, IN, serving Monroe County Government and other
local employers, PROVIDER has spread across the country with 29 clinics that serve over 70 clients and
more than 57,000 members. Those numbers are projected to grow to well over 50 clinics and
100,000 members in 2017. Wellness Clinic Provider was recently recognized for ranking number “441” in
Inc.’s 2015 listing of the nation's top 5,000 fastest-growing private companies.
2. How does PROVIDER typically identify potential clients?
Our rapid growth is due in large part to the partnerships that we enjoy with benefit brokers and third
party administrators who recognize the tremendous value that we can bring to their clients. They
introduce us to their clients and play an active role in the development and ongoing operations of our
clinics. Once PROVIDER establishes a clinic in a community, the popularity of it attracts the attention of
other employers and frequently leads to new clinic opportunities.
3. What industries does PROVIDER serve?
PROVIDER can potentially meet the healthcare needs of any type of organization. Among the industries that
we currently serve are:
4. How much can organizations save in healthcare spending with a PROVIDER clinic?
Direct healthcare savings in Year 1 of a PROVIDER clinic averages between 15% and 25%.
5. How is savings from reduced absences computed?
Locating our primary care clinic at or near an organization’s location makes it very convenient and
cost effective to receive care. This convenience reduces sick time off and encourages people to be
proactive in getting the healthcare they need, when the need it.
Savings from reduced sick time off from work is based on the General Electric study in the 1990’s. It
showed that employees who USED the clinic were less absent “3.3” days per year. PROVIDER uses a
conservative formula that applies only 50% of the projected savings into our financial projections.
6. How do PROVIDER clinics impact worker turnover?
The onsite/near-site clinic benefit not only keeps workers on the job, but it increases their
commitment to staying at the job. FREE: primary care, health coaching, prescription drugs, labs,
cost-saving referrals, and wellness incentives make it much harder for an employee to leave an
employer.
7. How dose PROVIDER clinics impact worker productivity?
A workforce that is actively engaged in taking charge of their health, and is readily cared for at their
own clinic, promises to be far more productive than a workforce that avoids medical care.
The best places to work are often the most profitable organizations. A January 19, 2014 Forbes
article stated:
“There’s plenty of hard evidence that shows that happy employees lead directly to better
performance and higher profits. Last year revenues increased by an average of 22.2 percent
for the 2014 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. And according to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, these same companies added new employees at rate that was five times
higher than the national average.”
8. How do PROVIDER clinics differ from convenience, urgent, or emergency care
clinics found in most communities?
PROVIDER clinics resemble most primary care offices, with one major exception: we do not include a waiting
room! We do not want clinic members to wait. We do our very best to see patients at the appointed
time. This is accomplished by scheduling appointments in advance and not permitting walk-ins.
A more important difference takes place when the examination room door closes. PROVIDER does not
“churn” patients – we “engage” people. Our providers take the time to understand and meet people’s
needs – far exceeding the 8-minute U.S. average visit with a doctor. PROVIDER medical providers are not
paid on a fee-for-service basis. They are encouraged to spend the necessary time with patients to
fully understand their health needs.
9. What does the clinic have to offer people who don’t think they need to see a primary care
doctor?
PROVIDER provides “proactive” primary care that engages patients in healthy lifestyle behaviors – improving
health and keeping healthy people healthy! We understand that patient behavior leads to chronic
disease, which represents 75% of all healthcare costs. To address this we “Wellness Clinic Provider” ALL members
of the organization – not just those identified with health risks. Annual visits for a physical exam is
the foundation that PROVIDER builds its relationship with clinic members on. The annual physical includes a
thorough bio-metric evaluation by the physician, which is followed by a meeting with a medical
provider who is a trained health coach. The health coach assists members in establishing
meaningful individual health and well-being goals. PROVIDER also works with the employer(s) in carefully
designing an incentive plan that rewards employees when their goals are achieved.
10. What if a patient has a condition that cannot be treated at the PROVIDER clinic?
When care or service is required, outside the scope of the clinic’s capabilities, PROVIDER’s medical team
assists in providing a referral that identifies the best provider, based on quality and value. This can
potentially provide individuals and organizations a significant savings.
11. How does PROVIDER assist employers in creating healthier work environments?
Our culture reinforces habits that are not healthy, so we support a culture of health at work that
engages people in practicing healthy lifestyle behaviors, which impact health outcomes in members.
A healthy culture engages people in continuous learning and improvement, and focuses on
behaviors like:
PROVIDER assists organizations in forming a “wellness council” to oversee the culture of health process, and
then works with the council in creating and implementing an action plan to promote healthy lifestyle
behaviors in the population. The wellness council also insures that incentives, benefits, and
company policies are aligned to encourage the desired culture of health.
12. What is meant by “leveraging the power of communities”?
Most organizations lack the scale to impact health care quality and cost. We “leverage” the
collective power of communities by encouraging shared access to clinics, which makes full-time
dedicated care affordable to organizations of all kinds and sizes. Growing clinic membership
reduces the cost of care per member. As a result, most of PROVIDER’s clinics are shared by multiple
employers. These organizations also benefit from the experience and knowledge that is shared in
monthly operations meetings.
In a number of communities, the growing network of Wellness Clinic Provider clinics provides more flexibility and
options in selecting the most convenient clinic location. For example, within a 20-mile radius of
South Bend, Indiana, five clinics serve over 13,000 members. This provides multiple options of
where members receive their primary care.
13. How many members are needed to start a clinic?
With between 500 and 1200 members (employees, spouses and children over 3 years old), a PROVIDER
clinic can be created with a Nurse Practitioner or Physician’s Assistant, and two medical assistants.
With 1200 to 3000 members, the model is expanded to include a primary care physician. 3000+
members results in a further expansion of the medical team.
14. How does PROVIDER utilize technology in its delivery of health care?
Health care information is often fragmented and not easily accessed by users. PROVIDER integrates data
from multiple sources to ensure that the patient gets the right care; sees the right provider; and gets
the right medication. PROVIDER’s technology includes the ability to integrate: claims history, electronic
medical record information, and behavior change data. PROVIDER offers telemedicine when appropriate via
a video consultation with the clinic provider.
15. What makes PROVIDER primary care different from most family practices?
The fee for service payment model for healthcare treatment incentivizes “quantity” of care over
“quality” of care. This can often lead to churning patients, and unnecessary services and costs. PROVIDER
medical providers are encouraged to take the time to properly understand and treat the population
they serve. The result is delighted patients and an energized medical team.
The PROVIDER process for selecting the medical team creates the best fit for employers and providers.
PROVIDER provides employers with a select group of qualified candidates for the positions of: medical doctor, physician assistant, and nurse practitioner. The final selections are made by the employer(s), to
ensure that they are the best fit for the clinic’s population. At the same time, our providers choose
the population they serve. The resulting fit is the best choice for everyone.
Our medical providers participate in continuous learning and improvement efforts to enhance the
quality of care that we deliver to our clinic members. Monthly meetings provide an opportunity to
share expert medical information and allow for chart reviews among physicians. Our medical
professionals are committed and passionate about serving their clinic population. And, they don’t
leave! In 6 years of operating clinics, we have experienced less than a 5% turnover of our providers
and not closed a single clinic.
Another important feature of PROVIDER’s quality care is the eConsults that are available to our physicians
whenever they need an expert opinion from a top specialist from a major medical institution. Within
12 hours, an expert medical opinion is provided to our physicians, potentially saving the clinic
member an unnecessary visit to a specialist, and the cost associated with it. On average, avoiding
an unnecessary visit, labs, imaging, and/or procedure, saves $370 per eConsult.
16. How does a PROVIDER clinic reduce healthcare costs?
Significant cost savings are determined, before we go down the road with a client in planning a clinic.
The first step in determining if an PROVIDER primary care clinic is a good fit for an organization is to analyze the two most recent years’ medical claims data, and conservatively calculate the cost savings that a clinic can provide. The last thing that we want is for the clinic to be a “cost” to the organization. So,
we are very careful in measuring the return on investment that a clinic can offer.
A reduction in medical costs is the largest potential cost savings. Medical cost considerations
include:
17. How do employers and employees save money on drugs and labs?
PROVIDER does not seek to make a profit on the drugs and labs that are made available through the clinic.
The actual cost is passed through to the employer, with a small upcharge for the necessary
packaging and labeling that the drugs require. The minimal cost of these drugs and labs are then
provided at NO COST to employees.
Employer benefits from our generic and brand drug programs include:
A new PROVIDER benefit is a Brand Drug Savings Program. For a small monthly fee, employers and their members can receive high cost drugs for little or no cost. This is critically important for the following
reasons:
18. What are the first steps to take in exploring if a PROVIDER clinic is a good fit for
your organization?
The first step for us is to collect and analyze the two most years’ medical claims. This allows PROVIDER
to diagnose the health, and related costs, of your population. The next step is to design services
and a contract to meet your unique requirements. In as little as 4 to 6 months, we can deliver a
PROVIDER clinic and begin to implement our primary care services.
Frequently Asked Questions about CEBRS’ Endorsed Employee Retention and Benefits Program
1. How long has this “Wellness Clinic Provider” (PROVIDER) been in business?
PROVIDER began in 2009 when a hospital CEO joined with a former CEO of a large national fast food chain
to form PROVIDER. From its first clinic in Bloomington, IN, serving Monroe County Government and other
local employers, PROVIDER has spread across the country with 29 clinics that serve over 70 clients and
more than 57,000 members. Those numbers are projected to grow to well over 50 clinics and
100,000 members in 2017. Wellness Clinic Provider was recently recognized for ranking number “441” in
Inc.’s 2015 listing of the nation's top 5,000 fastest-growing private companies.
2. How does PROVIDER typically identify potential clients?
Our rapid growth is due in large part to the partnerships that we enjoy with benefit brokers and third
party administrators who recognize the tremendous value that we can bring to their clients. They
introduce us to their clients and play an active role in the development and ongoing operations of our
clinics. Once PROVIDER establishes a clinic in a community, the popularity of it attracts the attention of
other employers and frequently leads to new clinic opportunities.
3. What industries does PROVIDER serve?
PROVIDER can potentially meet the healthcare needs of any type of organization. Among the industries that
we currently serve are:
- Distribution and Supply
- Education
- Finance
- Food Production
- Government
- Healthcare
- Insurance & Benefits
- Labor organizations
- Manufacturing
- Transportation
4. How much can organizations save in healthcare spending with a PROVIDER clinic?
Direct healthcare savings in Year 1 of a PROVIDER clinic averages between 15% and 25%.
5. How is savings from reduced absences computed?
Locating our primary care clinic at or near an organization’s location makes it very convenient and
cost effective to receive care. This convenience reduces sick time off and encourages people to be
proactive in getting the healthcare they need, when the need it.
Savings from reduced sick time off from work is based on the General Electric study in the 1990’s. It
showed that employees who USED the clinic were less absent “3.3” days per year. PROVIDER uses a
conservative formula that applies only 50% of the projected savings into our financial projections.
6. How do PROVIDER clinics impact worker turnover?
The onsite/near-site clinic benefit not only keeps workers on the job, but it increases their
commitment to staying at the job. FREE: primary care, health coaching, prescription drugs, labs,
cost-saving referrals, and wellness incentives make it much harder for an employee to leave an
employer.
7. How dose PROVIDER clinics impact worker productivity?
A workforce that is actively engaged in taking charge of their health, and is readily cared for at their
own clinic, promises to be far more productive than a workforce that avoids medical care.
The best places to work are often the most profitable organizations. A January 19, 2014 Forbes
article stated:
“There’s plenty of hard evidence that shows that happy employees lead directly to better
performance and higher profits. Last year revenues increased by an average of 22.2 percent
for the 2014 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. And according to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, these same companies added new employees at rate that was five times
higher than the national average.”
8. How do PROVIDER clinics differ from convenience, urgent, or emergency care
clinics found in most communities?
PROVIDER clinics resemble most primary care offices, with one major exception: we do not include a waiting
room! We do not want clinic members to wait. We do our very best to see patients at the appointed
time. This is accomplished by scheduling appointments in advance and not permitting walk-ins.
A more important difference takes place when the examination room door closes. PROVIDER does not
“churn” patients – we “engage” people. Our providers take the time to understand and meet people’s
needs – far exceeding the 8-minute U.S. average visit with a doctor. PROVIDER medical providers are not
paid on a fee-for-service basis. They are encouraged to spend the necessary time with patients to
fully understand their health needs.
9. What does the clinic have to offer people who don’t think they need to see a primary care
doctor?
PROVIDER provides “proactive” primary care that engages patients in healthy lifestyle behaviors – improving
health and keeping healthy people healthy! We understand that patient behavior leads to chronic
disease, which represents 75% of all healthcare costs. To address this we “Wellness Clinic Provider” ALL members
of the organization – not just those identified with health risks. Annual visits for a physical exam is
the foundation that PROVIDER builds its relationship with clinic members on. The annual physical includes a
thorough bio-metric evaluation by the physician, which is followed by a meeting with a medical
provider who is a trained health coach. The health coach assists members in establishing
meaningful individual health and well-being goals. PROVIDER also works with the employer(s) in carefully
designing an incentive plan that rewards employees when their goals are achieved.
10. What if a patient has a condition that cannot be treated at the PROVIDER clinic?
When care or service is required, outside the scope of the clinic’s capabilities, PROVIDER’s medical team
assists in providing a referral that identifies the best provider, based on quality and value. This can
potentially provide individuals and organizations a significant savings.
11. How does PROVIDER assist employers in creating healthier work environments?
Our culture reinforces habits that are not healthy, so we support a culture of health at work that
engages people in practicing healthy lifestyle behaviors, which impact health outcomes in members.
A healthy culture engages people in continuous learning and improvement, and focuses on
behaviors like:
- Moving more
- Eating and drinking healthy
- Avoiding tobacco and drinking alcohol in moderation
- Sleeping well
- Stressing less
PROVIDER assists organizations in forming a “wellness council” to oversee the culture of health process, and
then works with the council in creating and implementing an action plan to promote healthy lifestyle
behaviors in the population. The wellness council also insures that incentives, benefits, and
company policies are aligned to encourage the desired culture of health.
12. What is meant by “leveraging the power of communities”?
Most organizations lack the scale to impact health care quality and cost. We “leverage” the
collective power of communities by encouraging shared access to clinics, which makes full-time
dedicated care affordable to organizations of all kinds and sizes. Growing clinic membership
reduces the cost of care per member. As a result, most of PROVIDER’s clinics are shared by multiple
employers. These organizations also benefit from the experience and knowledge that is shared in
monthly operations meetings.
In a number of communities, the growing network of Wellness Clinic Provider clinics provides more flexibility and
options in selecting the most convenient clinic location. For example, within a 20-mile radius of
South Bend, Indiana, five clinics serve over 13,000 members. This provides multiple options of
where members receive their primary care.
13. How many members are needed to start a clinic?
With between 500 and 1200 members (employees, spouses and children over 3 years old), a PROVIDER
clinic can be created with a Nurse Practitioner or Physician’s Assistant, and two medical assistants.
With 1200 to 3000 members, the model is expanded to include a primary care physician. 3000+
members results in a further expansion of the medical team.
14. How does PROVIDER utilize technology in its delivery of health care?
Health care information is often fragmented and not easily accessed by users. PROVIDER integrates data
from multiple sources to ensure that the patient gets the right care; sees the right provider; and gets
the right medication. PROVIDER’s technology includes the ability to integrate: claims history, electronic
medical record information, and behavior change data. PROVIDER offers telemedicine when appropriate via
a video consultation with the clinic provider.
15. What makes PROVIDER primary care different from most family practices?
The fee for service payment model for healthcare treatment incentivizes “quantity” of care over
“quality” of care. This can often lead to churning patients, and unnecessary services and costs. PROVIDER
medical providers are encouraged to take the time to properly understand and treat the population
they serve. The result is delighted patients and an energized medical team.
The PROVIDER process for selecting the medical team creates the best fit for employers and providers.
PROVIDER provides employers with a select group of qualified candidates for the positions of: medical doctor, physician assistant, and nurse practitioner. The final selections are made by the employer(s), to
ensure that they are the best fit for the clinic’s population. At the same time, our providers choose
the population they serve. The resulting fit is the best choice for everyone.
Our medical providers participate in continuous learning and improvement efforts to enhance the
quality of care that we deliver to our clinic members. Monthly meetings provide an opportunity to
share expert medical information and allow for chart reviews among physicians. Our medical
professionals are committed and passionate about serving their clinic population. And, they don’t
leave! In 6 years of operating clinics, we have experienced less than a 5% turnover of our providers
and not closed a single clinic.
Another important feature of PROVIDER’s quality care is the eConsults that are available to our physicians
whenever they need an expert opinion from a top specialist from a major medical institution. Within
12 hours, an expert medical opinion is provided to our physicians, potentially saving the clinic
member an unnecessary visit to a specialist, and the cost associated with it. On average, avoiding
an unnecessary visit, labs, imaging, and/or procedure, saves $370 per eConsult.
16. How does a PROVIDER clinic reduce healthcare costs?
Significant cost savings are determined, before we go down the road with a client in planning a clinic.
The first step in determining if an PROVIDER primary care clinic is a good fit for an organization is to analyze the two most recent years’ medical claims data, and conservatively calculate the cost savings that a clinic can provide. The last thing that we want is for the clinic to be a “cost” to the organization. So,
we are very careful in measuring the return on investment that a clinic can offer.
A reduction in medical costs is the largest potential cost savings. Medical cost considerations
include:
- the amount of primary care that will shift to the clinic
- the amount of specialist care that will shift to the clinic
- referrals that guide members to optimal facilities for testing and procedures
- decreased utilization of outpatient Emergency services
- decreased utilization of inpatient services
- the cost of drugs and labs
17. How do employers and employees save money on drugs and labs?
PROVIDER does not seek to make a profit on the drugs and labs that are made available through the clinic.
The actual cost is passed through to the employer, with a small upcharge for the necessary
packaging and labeling that the drugs require. The minimal cost of these drugs and labs are then
provided at NO COST to employees.
Employer benefits from our generic and brand drug programs include:
- Reduced drug costs
- Reduced overall healthcare costs from improved adherence
- Improved productivity through reduced absenteeism/presenteeism
- No cost or reduced cost for prescriptions
- Improved health from prescription adherence
- Improved health and wellbeing from reduced financial stress
A new PROVIDER benefit is a Brand Drug Savings Program. For a small monthly fee, employers and their members can receive high cost drugs for little or no cost. This is critically important for the following
reasons:
- 20% of patients never fill the first prescription
- 60% of patients skip refills to save money
- Non-adherence leads to worse medical treatment outcomes and increased healthcare
- Non-adherence is estimated to cost $2,000 in physician visits
18. What are the first steps to take in exploring if a PROVIDER clinic is a good fit for
your organization?
The first step for us is to collect and analyze the two most years’ medical claims. This allows PROVIDER
to diagnose the health, and related costs, of your population. The next step is to design services
and a contract to meet your unique requirements. In as little as 4 to 6 months, we can deliver a
PROVIDER clinic and begin to implement our primary care services.
Please contact CEBRS for more information on this program and to determine if this will provide a viable solution for your particular needs.
For additional information, or to schedule a call/visit you can contact a CEBRS Partner:
Robert Shultz: rshultz@cebrs.com / (805) 520-7880 (Office) / (805) 501-1769 (Mobile)
Mel Kaye: mkaye@cebrs.com / (724) 635-5293 (Office) / (805) 300-1769 (Mobile)
For additional information, or to schedule a call/visit you can contact a CEBRS Partner:
Robert Shultz: rshultz@cebrs.com / (805) 520-7880 (Office) / (805) 501-1769 (Mobile)
Mel Kaye: mkaye@cebrs.com / (724) 635-5293 (Office) / (805) 300-1769 (Mobile)
