4 Questions to Ask When Evaluating an Onsite Wellness Center

Is your company a fit?

Has your company considered adding an onsite wellness center? If not, it could be time to evaluate your options to see if it’s a fit for your population. Onsite health centers continue to rise in popularity due to their ability to remove the barriers employees face when getting care by bringing it to the workplace, resulting in improved productivity and reduced absenteeism.

Here are four questions you should be asking to help determine if a health center is right for your organization.

1. Is your company self-insured?

The majority of companies who offer onsite services are self-insured, meaning they pay claims themselves using a third-party administrator to process them. The company then assumes most of the healthcare risk.

There are obvious financial benefits for a self-insured company. While self-insured employers take on more risk, they have a greater opportunity to save money in the long run because they have visibility into their healthcare spend. The employer controls the benefit planning and can customize the plan to meet the specific healthcare needs of its population, rather than purchasing a ‘one-size-fits-all’ policy from an insurer.

If you are a self-insured company, it’s easier to implement a center and choose the products and services that deliver the most value to your employees.

2. How is your benefits package designed?

Your benefits structure can impact the effectiveness of your onsite health center, so it’s important to look at benefits holistically to garner the highest return on your investment. On site health centers that are integrated with your benefits strategy can reduce healthcare costs. These health centers keep your employee population healthier by preventing and treating conditions before they become an issue.

Regardless of how your benefits plan is currently structured, having a wellness center as part of your wellbeing program is a big perk. This offering can also be a competitive differentiator in the market, helping you attract and retain top talent.

3. How many employees do you have?

Better results for an onsite wellness center are achieved with a higher employee threshold, and for those organizations that have a high concentration of people working at one location.

There are options if your workforce is dispersed or your employee population is smaller. If you do have a smaller organization, that doesn’t automatically discount you from implementing quality and convenient healthcare solutions for your employees. An additional option is a nearsite health center.

What is a nearsite wellness center? Near site health centers typically serve multiple organizations in one geographic area near where employees live. They serve both members and dependents, providing access to care for the entire family. These are not community clinics, so providers are able to spend ample time with each person and can deliver personalized, high-quality care.

4. What is the health demographic of your employee population?

It’s important to take a look at your current population’s health demographic. Are your employees already active or do they live more sedentary lifestyles? Do you have a high number with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, or in need of specialty care?

Looking at current trends and issues your teams are facing can help you determine which products and services are the best fit and most valuable for your employees.

For example, if your population has a high rate of chronic conditions, you may benefit greatly from an onsite pharmacy where pharmacists can work one-on-one with those individuals and improve medication adherence for better outcomes. If you have a younger, active workforce, an onsite fitness center is going to be attractive to help them maintain their healthy lifestyles.

Onsite services and programs can be tailored to fit your employees’ personal needs. Knowing these key traits is crucial to helping ensure your wellness center drives results and helps employees live their healthiest lives.

While these questions are not the only ones your organization should be asking when considering onsite health centers, it’s a great start to get thinking about the impact it could have on your employees’ health and wellbeing – and your company’s bottom line.  

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Premise Health is the leading direct healthcare provider offering onsite wellness centers, as well as nearsite and virtual access points. Learn more about onsite access to care and how it can benefit your teams.