So the London, Kentucky, wholesaler opened a health clinic.
Improving employee health and lowering health costs are among the main advantages employers cite for running clinics. But some companies also say they're helping to blunt the nation's shortage of primary care doctors and eliminate the hassle of finding and getting care. Employer clinics could alleviate the rising demand for primary care. A far lower proportion of U.S. doctors are generalists than in other advanced economies, according to data compiled by the Peterson Center on Healthcare and KFF.
Related Stories"We heard about the difficulty employees had to get in to a doctor," he said. They would call providers who said they were accepting new patients but would still wait months for an appointment, he added. Kara Speer, national practice leader for consulting firm WTW, said potential cost savings from employer-run clinics can take years to accrue as employees shift from pricier hospital emergency rooms and urgent care clinics. And it can be difficult to measure whether clinics control costs by improving workers' health through preventive screenings and checkups, she said.