Tag: onsite health centers

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Accessibility Churns Success

Employers are making healthcare more effective by offering medical services at or nearby the worksite. By handling all administration and operations, onsite care experts can help shift attention from disease management to disease prevention.  Over 30 employee health and wellness centers in Florida are drastically reducing health costs through the help of Crowne Consulting Group, Inc. and medical partnerships.

Onsite care extends benefits of free office visits, screenings, and increased physician face-time for employees.  Employers can stick with their current healthcare plan and benefits provider.  The only difference is that the employees now have the option to handle medical appointments and wellness visits at the worksite rather than at more costly outside providers.

“Costs for operating an onsite health center can be 60 percent less than paying for a fee-for-service model,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group. “And it’s not just employers seeing the savings – the employees are also reaping the benefits through the increased accessibility to care.”

Utilization proves to be high because employee health centers offer on-demand medical service for employees, their dependents, and the retiree population for no out-of-pocket costs.

  • With a free and reliable health center nearby, employees are more likely to keep chronic issues, such as hypertension and diabetes, in check.
  • Workers are equipped to take better care of themselves, while also taking less time off and requiring fewer serious medical procedures.
  • Quality healthcare in a convenient location reduces costs to employees, and, by extension, taxpayers.

Employers can experience additional savings and services when the workers’ compensation program is integrated with an onsite-health-center model.  One Florida school district slashed their Worker’s Compensation costs by 50 percent in one year.  Crowne and their medical partners have also teamed with top-rated firms to bring insurance products and management services for fully-insured and self-insured school districts.

When considering onsite care, it’s important to ask the right questions to ensure your operators are able to meet and exceed your needs for lowering health costs while making quality care more accessible to your employees.  With expertise in serving public sector employers such as school boards, city and county government, as well as private organizations – Crowne specializes in making healthcare more accessible and more affordable.

Contact Crowne’s Expert Now.

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Pasco County Schools’ Employee Health
Initiatives Earn Recognition from
American Heart Association

Florida school district is among elite group of Platinum Fit-Friendly Worksites.

View PDF: Pasco-Crowne-Press Release-1-23-2015

Land O’ Lakes, FL – (January 23, 2015) – As the nation recognizes American Heart Month this February, the District School Board of Pasco County is celebrating news that it earned the Platinum Fit-Friendly Worksite Award from the American Heart Association for demonstrating a strong commitment to providing a healthy workplace.

“Physical activity and employee wellness are important priorities for us at the district, so we are honored and excited to be recognized by the American Heart Association,” said Superintendent Kurt Browning.

The Fit-Friendly Worksites program is a catalyst for positive change in making employees’ health and wellness a priority.  Qualifications for the platinum-level include:

• Offering employees physical activity options in the workplace.

• Increasing healthy eating options at the worksite.

• Promoting a wellness culture in the workplace.

• Implementing at least nine criteria outlined by the American Heart Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture.

• Demonstrating measurable outcomes related to workplace wellness.

“We’re committed to providing the best workplace environment possible. This will benefit our employees’ health and produce even more positive results for our worksite overall,” said School Board Member Cynthia Armstrong, who represents the board on the district’s Employee Wellness Committee.

Pasco County schools also took an innovative approach to cut costs while enhancing healthcare for its more than 10,000 members by offering onsite care for employees, retirees and dependents.

“Employees, retirees and dependents visiting the onsite health and wellness centers enjoy free and convenient access to primary medical, screenings, lab work, X-rays, EKG, occupational health, wellness programs, disease management, and generic prescriptions,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group, which collaborates with CareHere Crowne LLC to operate more than 30 health and wellness centers throughout Florida, including five centers for Pasco County schools.

Ocoee-based Crowne Consulting Group’s management of the district’s CareHere health centers, in combination with Tampa-based Med-Vision’s health-data analytics for wellness planning, have proved valuable in helping the district’s wellness committee create results-driven programs.  For example, the district’s incentive program rewards employees who complete a health-risk assessment, follow-up with a health coach, and complete a questionnaire.  If an employee completes these three sections, he or she is awarded $150.  Employees can earn up to $100 in additional incentive awards for completing a program on CareHere Connect, an online wellness portal, or attending three out of four onsite-wellness sessions.

These incentives resulted in approximately $14 Million in savings over the past three years.  These achievements were highlighted in the December 2014 issue of District Administration Magazine, and have earned the district several local, state, and national awards in addition to the current honor from the American Heart Association.

About The District School Board of Pasco County: Pasco County Schools is the 11th largest school district in Florida and the 50th largest in the nation, with more than 69,000 students and nearly 11,000 employees.  The district includes 45 elementary schools, 16 middle schools, 13 high schools, four centers, nine charter schools, and a robust eschool.  Pasco is led by an elected superintendent and five elected school board members, who administer a $1.2 billion annual budget.  More than 93 percent of the general fund resources are committed to teaching and other school-level programs such as transportation, counseling, psychological services, school administration, and operations & maintenance.

About Crowne Consulting Group, Inc: Crowne Consulting Group, Inc., founded in 1986, consults and provides administrative oversight services for onsite health and wellness centers to employers 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 have experience in serving public sector employers such as school boards, city and county government, 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.

About the American Heart Association: The American Heart Association is devoted to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Our mission drives everything we do. To improve the lives of all Americans, we provide public health education in a variety of ways. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke.

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Earning an A+ in Healthcare
How schools are making the grade in employee benefits
By Ray Tomlinson, President of Crowne Consulting Group

Healthcare expenses are ballooning nationwide, but forward-thinking school districts have taken matters into their own hands to push down costs.  Districts across Florida are finding value in providing primary-care services for employees at or near the worksite.  Employees visiting onsite health and wellness centers enjoy increased access to low-cost preventative care, which is helping employers to lower average healthcare costs.

Florida-based Crowne Consulting Group has become the state’s one-stop-shop for implementing and maintaining onsite care programs.  Crowne collaborates with the medical experts at Tennessee-based CareHere, LLC to operate nearly 30 on- or near-site health and wellness centers throughout Florida, including centers for several school districts.

In addition to physicians, the staff typically includes nurses, dieticians, exercise physiologists, and other medical staff.  Patients access a wide range of services, including x-rays and physicals, as well as comprehensive treatment for conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Patients make their own appointments online or by phone for a 20-minute visit with a doctor. They can reserve additional time with the physician if needed, and they never have to pay a copay.  What’s more, patients can walk out of their appointment with a free generic prescription in hand.  This ease of use and cost-free care keeps utilization high.  Diverting a large portion of doctor visits to the controlled-cost centers keeps outside health claims cost significantly lower.

“Our costs for the health centers, including operations and administration, are approximately 30 to 70 percent less than what employers are paying under the fee-for-service model,” according to Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group.

Crowne’s client Pasco County Schools offers four Employee Health & Wellness Centers for over 8,000 employees, retirees, and dependents.  Within the first year of opening its first center, the district reduced health costs 5 percent, saving over $2 Million.  The district was also able to flatten prescription drug expenses and reduce workers’ compensation costs by 50 percent.

In addition to Pasco County Schools, Crowne has helped Citrus County Schools, Lake County Schools, and St. Johns County Schools to save millions of dollars in healthcare costs, while enhancing care for employees.  Newcomers Levy County Schools, which opened earlier this year, and Indian River Schools, slated to open in September, are poised for similar results.

Remember that when considering the launch of any cost-saving healthcare solution, experience is most important.  Visit owd.dev/PCHP/CrowneGroup/wp and contact Crowne Consulting Group’s team at 407.654.5414 to learn about their years of expertise in serving school districts.

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Growing Demand for Employee Health & Wellness Centers to Help Florida Employers Control Healthcare Costs

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Crowne Consulting Group and CareHere open more worksite health centers for employees of government agencies, school districts, and private organizations.

May 6, 2014 (Ocoee, Fla.) – Crowne Consulting Group, Inc., an employee benefits consulting firm collaborating with CareHere, LLC to operate over 25 worksite health and wellness centers throughout Florida, have announced an increasing number of employee health and wellness centers.

The latest centers will service Lake County Sheriff’s Office as well as employees of LifeStream, which is a behavioral health and social services organization servicing children and adults in Lake and Sumter Counties.  There are approximately 1600 plan members covered under the Sheriff’s Office and LifeStream’s health plans, including employees and dependents.

At no charge to plan members (including dependents), the health and wellness center will offer primary care, occupational services, pharmacy, disease management, and wellness services such as nutritional coaching.  Plan members will also benefit from zero deductibles, no copays, and free health risk assessments with lab work for evaluation of cholesterol, blood sugar, liver function, blood pressure and other bio-metric panels.

“An increasing number of private employers and governments are launching employee health centers to lower health costs by improving care, enhancing disease management, and providing easier access to care,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group.

In addition to corporations and governments, school districts are becoming self-insured and offering worksite care to save money for both employees and their districts.  Levy County Schools opened an employee health center in February, and Indian River County Schools’ center is slated to be opening this summer.  For information about the growing number of employee health centers opening in Florida, visit: https://crowneinc.com/news/.

About Crowne Consulting Group, Inc:

Crowne Consulting Group, Inc., founded in 1986, consults and provides administrative oversight services for onsite health and wellness centers to employers 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 have experience in serving public sector employers such as school boards, city and county government, 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.

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Onsite and In Demand:
Helping Large and Small Employers to Lower Health Costs

With the various provisions in the Affordable Care Act and opt-out-only requirements for employee health coverage, it’s clear that Healthcare Reform will push many smaller employers to opt for self-funding.

As a positive, self-insured plans are exempt from medical loss ratio requirements and aren’t subject to risk-adjustment.

Onsite healthcare for employees attracts self-funded groups because visits are paid directly by the employer.  No claim is filed.  Group health insurance typically is conducted in a fee-for-services model.  The more physician services, the higher the bill.  With an onsite health center, however, the employer controls spending by paying a flat fee and pass-through costs without any markup.

Employers can stick with their current healthcare plan and benefits provider.  The only difference is that the employees now have the option to handle medical appointments and wellness visits at the worksite rather than at more costly outside providers.  As a result, the costs for operating an onsite health center are 30-70 percent less than paying for a fee-for-service model.

Dozens of onsite health centers popping up across Florida have succeeded with the help of Crowne Consulting Group, Inc. , which partners with Tennessee-based CareHere to handle administration and operations of the onsite health center.

While many private companies have opened their onsite health centers, public entities including cities, counties, and school districts, have led the charge in recent years.

Importantly, the Crowne-CareHere model is completely scalable, which means it can work for employers from small to large.  Crowne Consulting Group has helped self-funded employers in Florida ranging from 175 employees to 8,500 employees.  Employers have managed to save millions of dollars in healthcare costs and decrease their prescription drug expenditures.

See video about Onsite Care Sweeping Florida https://crowneinc.com/2012/10/.

What’s more is that it’s not just the employer seeing the savings – the employees are also reaping the benefits.  Employee utilization remains high because employee health centers offer on-demand medical service for employees, their dependents, and the retiree population for no out-of-pocket costs.

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Announcement

CROWNE CONSULTING GROUP PRESENTS AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE FOR FLORIDA
CITY & COUNTY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION

Government leaders gather for
education and information pertaining to onsite healthcare.
May 29, 2013 (Ocoee, Fla.) – Crowne Consulting Group, Inc., an employee benefits consulting firm specializing in onsite employee health and wellness centers in Florida, announces that its team presented a case study for the Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA) annual conference last week at the Orlando Hilton.
. FCCMA is a professional organization of practicing public administrators from throughout Florida local governments.  The association focusses on providing education, support, information, and regulation to its members.
. The 2013 conference theme was “Loving Your Community – Building Attachment to Florida’s Cities, Towns and Counties.”  Crowne Consulting Group, which was a Diamond Sponsor for the event, offered a one-hour presentation with financial analysis and human resources planning for employers interested in the dynamics of onsite healthcare.
. Crowne’s session, titled “Onsite Health Centers: Real Results from a Five-Year Case Study,” outlined the successes of the onsite health center at the City of Ocoee.  Since implementing onsite care for its more than 740 employees, retirees and dependents in 2008, the City of Ocoee reversed its trend of rising healthcare expenditures and avoided over $4 million in costs.  Last year, an impressive 92 percent of eligible employees visited the center at least once.  Also, medical costs of its workers’ compensation program has decreased over 50 percent annually during a four-year span.
. “In addition to creating a healthier workforce, the onsite healthcare model is helping self-funded employers of all sizes to save millions of dollars,” said Ray Tomlinson, President of Crowne Consulting Group, who presented alongside Jim Carnicella, Crowne’s Client Account Manager and the former HR Director for the City of Ocoee.
. Crowne Consulting Group collaborates with Tennessee-based  CareHere LLC to operate more than 25 centers in Florida.  Nationally, CareHere operates over 120 centers.  Onsite health and wellness centers service employees, dependents and retirees.  Services typically include primary care, occupational services, pharmacy, disease management, and wellness services along with the benefits of zero copays, free screenings and increased physician face-time for employees.

For a copy of this case study or to learn more about the benefits of onsite healthcare, contact Ray Tomlinson at rtomlinson@crowneinc.com.
View this release in PDF format: Crowne Announcement-FCCMA-5-29-2013.

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Changing Florida’s Healthcare Landscape
for Employers and Employees


Crowne Consulting Group’s worksite health and wellness centers grow in popularity.

View/Print Release PDF

Sept. 12, 2012 (Ocoee, Fla.) – Crowne Consulting Group, Inc. is helping a growing number of organizations lower healthcare costs by enhancing employee benefits and offering onsite health and wellness centers for their employees.

The Crowne Consulting Group collaborates with Tennessee-based CareHere, LLC to operate 24 on-site health centers throughout Florida.  To name a few, the City of Leesburg, City of Ocala, City of Ocoee, Lake Schools, St. Johns Schools, and Charlotte County are offering onsite medical care for employees.  Add to that the City of Sanford opening earlier this week, and Lake Mary and Longwood projected for fall.

Motivators behind this trend include:

  • Employees pay no co-pay, which keeps utilization high.  Also, generic drugs, primary care, x-rays, screenings, disease management, and wellness services are all free.
  • Worksite-based care makes visiting the doctor more convenient for employees who typically neglect
    basic care or delay treatment.
  • Some employers have seen insurance claims drop 15 percent in gross costs within one year of launching on-site care, while other employers have sustained nearly a 4 percent decrease in claims costs during a four-year span.

“It’s a win-win for employers and employees because easier access to preventive care ensures that risks can be uncovered before becoming high-dollar medical claims,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group, which was recently profiled in Orlando Business Journal and Governing Magazine.

A news segment highlighting how Pasco Schools saved $2 million in the first year of opening its CareHere center is available at https://crowneinc.com/news/.

About Crowne Consulting Group, Inc: Crowne Consulting Group, Inc., founded in 1986, consults and provides administrative oversight services for onsite health and wellness centers to employers 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 have a cumulative 100 years of experience in serving public sector employers such as school boards, city and county government, as well as private organizations.  The firm’s mission is to bring innovative solutions that meet the fiscal responsibility of employers and maximizes investments.  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.

 

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For Immediate Release
For additional information, contact:
rtomlinson@crowneinc.com

View/Print this Release in PDF format

How Easier Access to Healthcare Lowers Costs

Crowne Consulting Group reports onsite health centers reduce risks and cut costs.

Jan. 18, 2012 (Ocoee, Fla.) – For a large number of governments and municipalities in Florida, employee health centers are just what the doctor ordered.  Adopting the onsite health model is improving quality of employee healthcare while decreasing costs.

Crowne Consulting Group, Inc. collaborates with Tennessee-based CareHere, LLC to operate 23 employee health and wellness centers throughout Florida.  Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group, explains why easier access translates to lower costs for employers
and employees:

1)     Worksite health services reduce “time off” and increase incentives to seek medical care.

2)     Employees pay zero copays and no deductibles, preventing delays for financial reasons.

3)     Primary care, labs, free prescriptions and more are fulfilled in a convenient visit.

4)     Disease management and wellness programs ensure chronic diseases are kept in check.

5)     Free health risk assessments (HRAs) and lab work for evaluation of cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure are conducted onsite to uncover or mitigate health risks.

Approximately 96 percent of the City of Ocoee’s more than 300 eligible employees utilized HRAs and wellness programs offered at its health center, helping the city prevent high-dollar claims for chronic diseases including diabetes and congestive heart failure.

Prior to hiring Crowne in April 2008, Ocoee faced annual premium increases of 15-24 percent.  Over 6,800 visits at the Ocoee health center and nearly 1000 more visits at its partner center in the City of Apopka occurred within the first two years, saving the city more than $1 million, including more than a 70 percent decrease in workers’ compensation medical costs.

About Crowne Consulting Group, Inc:

Crowne Consulting Group, Inc., founded in 1986, consults and provides administrative oversight services for onsite health and wellness centers to employers 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 have a cumulative 100 years of experience in serving public sector employers such as school boards, city and county government, as well as private organizations.  The firm’s mission is to bring innovative solutions that meet the fiscal responsibility of employers and maximizes investments.  Solutions include health reimbursement arrangements, self-funded plans, onsite health and wellness centers, as well as risk management and human resources consulting.

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