FLORENCE — Florence is looking to lower insurance costs by providing in-house medical care for city employees and their families covered by the city’s insurance plan.
Council is planning to add a CareHere Clinic to the government center at 8100 Ewing Blvd.
CareHere specializes in providing on-site health care through employers. CareHere manages clinics nationwide where wellness and case management are integrated with on-site health care resulting in measurable savings and health care trend reductions.
“It’s a cost savings measure,” Florence finance director Linda Chapman said. “It’s a way to help control our costs by providing the care ourselves. It will be a great benefit to our employees too with it being on site. The incentive for employees is that it’s one-stop shopping and there’s no co-pay.”
Florence stands to save $85,000 the first year, $400,000 in three years, and $1 million in five years, Chapman said.
Chapman said city employees have been polled and that the response has been positive.
The city of Covington recently added a CareHere Clinic, serving city and Kenton County employees and their families. Since it opened May 22, it has been well received.
“The response has been excellent,” said Kenton County Administrator Joe Shriver. “Employees heard the message loud and clear that the center saves them and the health plans money. Our discussions were that the concept in its simplest form was that we are buying primary care services wholesale through CareHere as opposed to retail from traditional providers thus an overall lower cost.”
The Florence clinic would staff two physicians and a nurse practitioner. Hours of operation will depend on use and will be monitored and adjusted accordingly, Chapman said. Florence has 195 employees, 170 of whom are on the city’s health care plan.
“Two private companies and a government agency are interested in partnering with us,” Chapman said.
Employers, physicians, employees and dependent patients benefit from online appointment schedules, online lab notices and graphed interpretations, online electronic medical records, online aggregate reporting of utilization and medical trends. Even non-narcotic prescriptions will be available at the clinic.
The clinic would also make it possible for pre-employment physicals and drug tests to be done in-house.
Council has received bids to prepare the space in the government center that was formerly occupied by Duke Energy for the clinic.
Chapman recommended that council go with the low bid of $86,705 with a $20,000 contingency fund built in from Millay and Co. Approval for the bid is expected to go before council Tuesday, June 25, Chapman said.
Councilman Mel Carroll fully supports the addition of a CareHere Clinic.
“I think we need to give it a shot,” he said. “It’s something that could pay dividends.”
