This Week's Herman Trend Alert The Consequences of Virtual Meetings

The Herman Trend Alert August 23, 2006 Onsite Clinics Reduce Healthcare Costs As employers look for ways to further reduce healthcare costs, one strategy that is growing in acceptance is the establishment of onsite medical clinics According to a study by the consulting firm Watson Wyatt, 33 percent of the 275 organizations that collectively employ more than 4.9 million workers have set up onsite medical clinics or plan to sometime this year. Implementing this concept afford benefits to both employers and their workers. First, onsite clinics deliver greater access to care at lower costs. Because the clinics are on site, they are accessible to the employees---they don't have to leave to go to the doctor; they are less likely to put off the doctor's visit that may detect a serious problem which may now be caught early. Second, onsite clinics address employees' overall health issues. Workers don't have to go to different doctors to receive basic medical care. In addition, onsite clinics provide the organization an opportunity to counsel high-risk employees on their vulnerability for disease and help them address their issues appropriately to minimize their discomfort and cost. Onsite clinics can provide risk management on workplace safety by reinforcing the messages delivered in safety training. Moreover, in the event of worksite accidents, having an onsite clinic means that the company can provide on-the-job treatment of injuries and assessment of illnesses. Lowe's, a Mooresville, NC-based home improvement retailer, covers 195,000 workers and their families with an annual expenditure of about $600 million per year on health insurance. By combining several strategies, Lowe's saved $16 million on health benefits. Some of the strategies they implemented included having no co-pay for generic medicines, installing four onsite health clinics, and giving workers an incentive to complete a health risk assessment. The company has significantly improved its bottom line without reducing benefit levels for workers. As a result of these initiatives, Lowe's has had premium increases of only 5 or 6 percent for the last three years, which was lower than the 8 to 9 percent national average for employers. Expect to see more onsite clinics popping up at employers' sites throughout North America. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: RETENTION SPECIALIST PROGRAM A growing number of people have expressed an interest in attending our Employee Retention Specialist Certificate Program. We'd like to schedule on that's convenient for those who want to attend, but need your feedback to do so. Please place RETENTION SPECIALIST in the subject line and Joyce will personally call you back to schedule the workshop. Or you can call Joyce directly at 336-210-3548 (PDT this and next week). BUSINESS IS PICKING UP Most employers are unprepared. The recovery will bring a new set of challenges for employers that have been in prolonged contracted mode. They will need more skilled workers or will need now to begin to upskill their current staffs. But organizations can not engage in Strategic Workforce Planning, when they don't know how. That's where The Herman Group can help. We can help you with your "People Review"----large or small---so that you will know who you will need and when you will need them. . . and we can also guide you to the best sources for the people you will need. For more information, call Joyce at 336-210-3548 or e-mail joyce@hermangroup.com. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR EMPLOYEES REALLY THINK AND FEEL Discover what’s really going on in the hearts and minds of your employees. Our InnerViews interviewing service uses SPHRs and PHRs, certified human resource professionals to probe for the information you really need to know. Exit and Stay Interviews, as well as Why-Didn't-You-Take-Our-Offer Interviews. Call Rosalie Catalano at 937-416-7066, or read more at: http://www.hermangroup.com/retentionconnection/exit_interviews.html. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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