Employers Turn to More Sophisticated Health Benefits and Wellness Incentives

Crowne Consulting Group Keeps Pace with National Trends Toward Screenings, Health Risk Assessments, and Customized Wellness Programs.

Employee-HealthcareOct. 24, 2017 (Ocoee, Fla.) – As health literacy and risk management become critical components of employer-sponsored health coverage, Crowne Consulting Group meets the demand by launching onsite healthcare with measurable wellness solutions for employees, retirees, and dependents.

Crowne’s benefits planning experts have spent years touting the rewards of preventive medicine through the operation of onsite and near-site health and wellness centers. A growing number of large and small employers agree the onsite-care model uniquely positions them to incentivize plan members to participate in life-saving biometric health screenings, health risk assessments, and reward-based wellness programs including smoking cessation, exercise, nutrition, and disease management.

“Free lab work and primary care coupled with incentives for medical action far surpass the outdated standards of wellness programs triggered by large claims,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group. “Onsite care and proactive programs achieve success by saving employers millions of dollars in medical costs – while also saving countless lives.”

According to a study discussed in the September AEM Journal from the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine, patients with limited health literacy were twice as likely to have preventable emergency department visits resulting in a hospital admission. Employers are recognizing costly health-literacy issues and are taking action through wellness initiatives.

The 2017 Employer Health Benefits Survey by Kaiser Family Foundation reports 58 percent of small firms and 85 percent of large firms offer at least one key wellness program.  Additionally, 38 percent of small firms and 62 percent of large firms offer workers health risk assessments. Notable incentives for participation include gift cards, merchandise, and financial rewards such as payroll-fee avoidance or lower premiums.

About Crowne Consulting Group:  Crowne Consulting Group, Inc., founded in 1986, provides administrative oversight services for worksite health and wellness centers and is a related company with The Crowne Group, an employee benefits consulting firm specializing in employer solutions and personal lines of insurance.  Crowne serves public sector employers such as school boards, city and county government, sheriff offices, as well as private organizations.  Solutions for consumer-driven plans include health reimbursement arrangements, self-funded plans, onsite health centers, as well as risk management and human resources consulting.

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Media Contact: Ray Tomlinson, President, 321.221.0665, rtomlinson@crowneinc.com

What Makes a Healthy Employer?

Crowne provides tips to build a healthy workforce.
Healthy Workforce
Build a Healthy Workforce with the Help of Crowne Consulting Group.

Employers have great opportunities to apply for an array of awards each year.  From the best places to work to fastest growing companies, there is no shortage of honors and nominations. Particularly, many organizations, respected journals, healthcare groups, and business associations across the nation give out employer health awards for having a healthy workforce.  The standards vary for award rankings, but most designate wellness and easy access to care as essential criteria for a healthy workplace.

“Preventative care and disease management are top priorities for cultivating a healthy workplace,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group, a benefits-planning firm specializing in the operation of over 30 onsite and near-site employee health and wellness centers throughout Florida.

Public and private organizations deemed as “healthy workplaces” have implemented onsite care for employees, retirees, and dependents.  Onsite care provides plan members with convenient access to no-cost primary and chronic care, screenings, lab work, X-rays, EKG, generic prescriptions, and wellness programs including smoking cessation.

  • Through Crowne’s onsite-care model, patient appointments can be made online or by phone for a 20-minute visit with a doctor.
  • Patients can reserve additional time with the physician if needed, and they never have to pay a copay.
  • In addition to physicians, the staff typically includes nurses, dieticians, exercise physiologists, and other medical staff.
  • Teams work together to provide a holistic approach to care while nurturing a healthy working environment.

Crowne points to the District School Board of Pasco County as a shining example for healthy workplaces. The district has worked with Crowne’s experts and medical affiliates since 2011 through CareHere Crowne LLC, which oversees onsite care operations for its more than 10,000 plan members. The district’s list of subsequent awards have included a Platinum Fit-Friendly Worksite Award from the American Heart Association, a Worksite Wellness Silver Award from the Florida Tobacco Cessation Alliance, the Top 100 list from the Healthiest100 awards, and a Healthiest Employers Award from the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Between 2011 and 2016, the District also saved over $26 million in health and medication expenditures

“Financially, the ease of use and cost-free care keeps utilization high for employers wanting a return on investment when implementing onsite care for a healthier workforce,” said Tomlinson.

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Learn more about bottom-line wellness! See Crowne Consulting Group’s featured statements in the Orlando Business Journal’s August 18, 2017 cover story: How Orlando-area firms save money on health care budgets.  The special issue also features the 2017 Healthiest Employers.

Crowne Consulting Group’s clients have included school districts, cities, counties, sheriff’s offices, and private organizations.  Call 407.654.5414 for information and employer solutions.

PRESS RELEASE

Cost-Cutting Solutions to Enhance Employee Care

Crowne Consulting Group Defines Three Healthcare Solutions Proven to Save Employers Money.

July 20, 2017 (Ocoee, Fla.) – As the future of healthcare lingers in a national debate, Crowne Consulting Group, Inc. delivers achievable ways for employers to decrease medical expenses while enhancing care for employees.

An employee benefits consulting firm specializing in the operation of onsite health and wellness centers, Crowne Consulting Group has helped employers ranging from 170 to over 8,000 employees. HR departments and administrators have trusted Crowne’s experts to save millions of dollars in healthcare budgets by implementing three key solutions.

  1. Self-Funding: Employers self-fund to achieve the greatest return from their healthcare investments. Success is achieved by strategically transitioning from fully insured to self-funded or partially self-funded through a guaranteed program with a rate-cap for at least three years. Private organizations, school districts, cities, counties, and sheriff offices have worked with Crowne’s experts and affiliates to control expenses through self-funding.
  1. Onsite Healthcare: Implementing onsite or near-site employee health and wellness centers has helped reduce the cost of healthcare claims 30% to 70% less than what employers were paying under a fee-for-service model. Employers control costs, while employees, retirees, and dependents enjoy cost-free access to primary care, clinic services, chronic care, screenings, lab work, X-rays, EKG, generic prescriptions, and wellness programs.
  1. Disease Management: Employers flatten cost-trends and reduce expenses by assessing risks early and having a healthier, more productive workforce. Free screenings and workplace wellness programs enhance care for plan members and help employers prevent high-dollar claims by mitigating risks associated with chronic diseases.

“Regardless of politics and health reform, America’s budget-minded employers can access today’s most effective cost-containment solutions – from self-funding, to onsite care, to specialty pharmacy programs,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group.

About Crowne Consulting Group:  Crowne Consulting Group, Inc., founded in 1986, provides administrative oversight services for worksite health and wellness centers and is a related company with The Crowne Group, an employee benefits consulting firm specializing in employer solutions and personal lines of insurance.  Crowne serves public sector employers such as school boards, city and county government, sheriff offices, as well as private organizations.  Solutions for consumer-driven plans include health reimbursement arrangements, self-funded plans, onsite health centers, as well as risk management and human resources consulting.  Call 321-221-0665 for more information.

Screenings Save Dollars for School Districts

screenings-xrays-medicalEarly detection of potential health issues is essential to avoiding costly and complex conditions.  Most district health-plans cover screenings for detecting anything from high blood pressure to cancer, but preventative coverage only pays off financially when plan members actually utilize screening services.

The benefits planning experts and onsite care operators at Crowne Consulting Group report that a high percentage of employees, retirees, and dependents with access to an onsite or near-site health center utilize screening services and complete Health Risk Assessments (HRA).

“Our onsite-care model ensures health screenings, exams, and X-rays are free and conveniently accessible for plan members,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group, which has helped dozens of Florida employers to implement onsite care to mitigate risks and prevent high-dollar claims due to unchecked conditions.

Unlike outdated wellness programs triggered by large claims, onsite healthcare services provide a proactive approach based on extensive lab work and assessments. This allows medical staff to proactively bring medical concerns to the attention of patients as well as create a unique plan of action and accountability for preventing more extensive health problems.

If any condition requires screenings for early detection along with a customized plan upon diagnosis – it is cancer.  According to the National Institutes of Health, cancer costs will reach $158 Billion by 2020. Crowne Consulting Group has worked with RN Cancer Guides Solutions to help school districts deliver an individualized approach to cancer care.

Florida-based RN Cancer Guides Solutions is the nation’s first-ever team of oncology nurse specialists reviewing claims and attending patient appointments to make real-time improvements in healthcare. Through its Employee Cancer Assistance Program (ECAP), school districts leverage value-based care and guided support for plan members to achieve the best possible outcomes, which result in reduced claims costs.

“Through special partnerships and an individualized approach to prevention, onsite health and wellness centers are coordinating solutions to make a tremendous impact on member’s health and their wallets,” added Tomlinson.

In addition to discussing medical concerns with a qualified physician, savvy healthcare consumers may research official websites like American Cancer Society, AACC’s Lab Tests Online, American Heart Association, and Mayo Clinic for guidance in maintaining health and keeping up-to-date on recommended health screenings.

Crowne Consulting Group’s clients have included school districts, cities, counties, sheriff’s offices, and private organizations.  Visit www.crowneinc.com  or call 407.654.5414 for information and employer solutions.

PRESS RELEASE
Return On Investment With Onsite Medical Care

Crowne Consulting Group Reports Million-Dollar Savings For Employers With Worksite Healthcare.

June 14, 2016 (Ocoee, Fla.) – Crowne Consulting Group and its partners are helping employers lower medical costs through onsite and near-site health and wellness centers for employees, retirees, and dependents.

By providing pass-through services without mark-up costs, Crowne’s Florida-based team and its medical affiliates are helping employers reduce the cost of typical insurance claims.  Employers save money, while plan members reap the benefits of free and easy access to primary care, screenings, wellness programs, and prescriptions.

“For the employee, there are no co-pays for the office visit or for most prescriptions,” said Carol MacLeod, Chief Financial Officer at Lake County Schools. “For the District, every patient visit that is seen by the wellness center instead of another physician saves the District in excess of $150. We have contained our health care cost increases to 2.66 percent per year when trend has been in excess of 9 percent.”

Crowne Consulting Group and its partners are helping other employers save millions of dollars through the implementation of customized onsite-care programs.  President Ray Tomlinson emphasizes that an advanced, patient-centric approach can boost clients’ financial successes.  Pasco County Schools, for example, is showing major returns since launching onsite care in 2011.

According to the superintendent at Pasco County Schools, Kurt S. Browning, “The District has saved/avoided over $26 million in health and medication expenditures and employees have saved over $4 million in co-pays for office visits and generic medication. We estimate that over 90 percent of our insurance eligible employees have used the medical clinics at some point since inception.”

About Crowne Consulting Group, Inc:

Crowne Consulting Group, Inc., founded in 1986, provides administrative oversight services for worksite health and wellness centers and is a related company with The Crowne Group, an employee benefits consulting firm specializing in employer solutions and personal lines of insurance.  Crowne’s experts serve public sector employers such as school boards, city and county government, sheriff offices, as well as private organizations.  Solutions for consumer-driven plans include health reimbursement arrangements, self-funded plans, onsite health and wellness centers, as well as risk management and human resources consulting.  In response to the growing demand for comprehensive care, Crowne is continuously adding new solutions for employee healthcare.

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