A newly released Willis Towers Watson survey of 255 U.S. employers took a closer look at companies’ top concerns regarding their employees’ access to certain healthcare services. The results show 54 percent of employers are concerned about employees having inadequate access to mental health services, while 47 percent are worried about workers having insufficient access to substance abuse treatment.
Employers also voiced their concern about employees’ access to general services in rural locations (33 percent), primary care services (29 percent) and maternity/perinatal services (25 percent), according to the full survey results, which were sent to MedCity.
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The 255 respondents completed the survey in October 2018. The participating employers identified as private, publicly traded or government/nonprofit companies, and they came from various industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, IT and energy. The employer size ranged from at least 100 employees to more than 25,000.
As a way to expand their employees’ access to care, some employers are offering onsite or near-site clinics, according to the survey. Twenty-six percent of respondents said they have an onsite health center, and 38 percent are considering offering one by 2020. While 8 percent said they offer a near-site or multiemployer health center, 26 percent intend to have one by 2020.
The 75 employers that offer onsite or near-site clinics noted that these locations are providing care for a variety of issues. The majority (94 percent) said they offer care for acute self-limited conditions like sore throats or upper respiratory infections. Other common offerings include preventive immunizations (88 percent), allergy shots (69 percent) and lifestyle or well-being programs (78 percent).
Looking ahead, employers intend to expand the types of care they’re offering to patients at these clinics. For instance, 8 percent said that in 2019, they’re planning to add mental health services through a behavioral health provider from the vendor managing the health center or in the community. And 22 percent indicated they’re considering offering this service in 2020. Plus, 6 percent of employers are planning to add physical therapy at their clinic in 2019, and 9 percent are considering it for 2020.
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