Mercer Survey Reveals Continued Growth in Employer Sponsored Medical Worksite Clinics

A full one-third (33%) of US employers with 5,000 or more employees offer general medical worksite clinics in 2017, up from 24% in 2012. This is according to a survey from Mercer, a global consulting leader in advancing health, wealth and career, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies MMC.The Mercer Survey on Worksite Medical Clinics 2018 was conducted in collaboration with the National Association of Worksite Health Centers (NAWHC), a non-profit trade association for employers who sponsor worksite clinics.

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Worksite clinics focused on occupational health* are still slightly more prevalent (38%), but not growing as fast as those offering general medical services. While just 16% of organizations with 500-4,999 employees currently provide a general medical clinic, another 8% say they will add one by 2019.

"More and more employers are finding measurable value in providing high quality healthcare and patient experience via worksite clinics," said David Keyt, Worksite Clinics Consulting Group Leader, Mercer. "Given the high rates of employee satisfaction and utilization, I think we will continue to see growth in offerings of clinics and expansion of the health services that clinics provide."

Larry Boress, Executive Director, NAWHC, commented, "Employers of all sizes and industries are finding they can effectively address the wide variations in quality and cost from local providers by offering clinics that are easily accessible, low or no cost to employees, high quality medical services at or near the worksite, and that are not driven by the need to generate volume and fees."

Using a worksite medical clinic as a primary care provider and even as a "medical home" is another growth trend that aligns with many employers' strategy of leveraging Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) and other network approaches. A patient-centered medical home is a healthcare delivery model whereby patients (often very high risk or chronically ill) have their care coordinated by a primary care physician, a nurse practitioner, or a physician assistant.

More than a third (35%) of survey respondents with general medical clinics say their clinic serves as a patient-centered medical home, up from 26% in 2015. In addition, two-thirds (67%) allow employees to select the worksite clinic as their primary care provider, compared to just 49% of respondents in 2015.

Carly Deer, NAWHC Board Chair and Senior Benefits Leader at Target Corporation, said, "Employers are becoming more directly involved in shaping the health care market and improving their employees' health. Properly structured onsite medical facilities can create a foundation of primary care and associated services that can assist moving care upstream, which can help improve outcomes, manage cost and increase productivity."

About the Mercer Survey on Worksite Medical Clinics 2018

All survey participants from Mercer's National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans 2017 that reported offering a worksite clinic were invited to answer detailed follow-up questions about their clinic operations along with NAWHC members and other employers known to have worksite clinics; 121 employers responded. The full report is available www.mercer.us/what-we-do/health-and-benefits/strategy-and-transformation/mercer-worksite-clinic-survey.html.

About Mercer

Mercer delivers advice and technology-driven solutions that help organizations meet the health, wealth and career needs of a changing workforce. Mercer's more than 23,000 employees are based in 44 countries and the firm operates in over 130 countries. Mercer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies MMC, the leading global professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people. With nearly 65,000 colleagues and annual revenue over $14 billion, through its market-leading companies including Marsh, Guy Carpenter and Oliver Wyman, Marsh & McLennan helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment. For more information, visit www.mercer.com. Follow Mercer on Twitter @Mercer.

About NAWHC

The National Association of Worksite Health Centers (NAWHC) is the nation's only non-profit, trade organization focused on assisting public and private employers and their vendor partners in developing and getting the greatest return from their onsite, near-site, shared and virtual health centers, onsite pharmacies, worksite fitness and wellness centers. NAWHC offers educational programs, networking opportunities, resources, benchmarking and support for those interested and involved with worksite clinics. The organization recently released its latest guidebook for measuring the performance of worksite health and wellness centers. For more information visit www.nawhc.org and join the NAWHC LinkedIn Group.

* Occupational Health is an area concerned with the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment.

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