Aspire Johnson County’s Greenwood office is pictured on Aug. 6. Through a partnership with Franciscan Health, Aspire members can access a discounted healthcare program. Noah Crenshaw | Daily Journal
A new partnership will allow Aspire Johnson County members to lower costs and increase employee access to healthcare.
Aspire, the county’s chamber of commerce and economic development organization, is partnering with Franciscan Health to help address employers’ workforce concerns. With the partnership, Franciscan’s HEALTHeACCESS primary care and wellness program is now available to Aspire member investors at a discounted rate.
Employers have been telling Aspire healthcare is becoming an obstacle in employment, whether it is affordability or access. It’s become a recruitment and retention barrier, as employees may leave to go to a company with more affordable healthcare costs, said Angela Vandersteen, vice president of investor development and relations for Aspire.
Inadequate access to healthcare can also be a performance issue for employees.
“I think that’s one of the things that’s sometimes understated, because if people aren’t going to the doctor, aren’t taking care of themselves, that can lead to larger issues,” Vandersteen said. “There could be needs with chronic issues that aren’t being addressed, and then that can start impacting their performance.”
Research has shown rising healthcare prices are “driving” unemployment and job losses. A June study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that when healthcare costs rise, employers outside the healthcare sector cut jobs, leading to higher unemployment among healthy middle-class wage earners.
With all of this in mind, when Franciscan came to Aspire to tell them about its HEALTHeACCESS program, Aspire officials listened.
“When they came to us, we were very interested in hearing more about it and learning about the benefits, to see how it would work and how we could help market it out to employers because we just recognize is that it’s a concern,” Vandersteen said.
The HEALTHeACCESS program is described by chamber officials as “an innovative healthcare access program” designed to provide comprehensive primary care services to employees without the need for traditional insurance coverage. It is not a replacement for health insurance, but rather a health program designed to improve employee health by reducing common barriers to care.
There are no co-pays for any of the program’s services, such as office or telehealth visits. Employers can choose to offer HEALTHeACCESS to their employees on a voluntary basis or cover the low monthly cost, thereby extending a primary care health service at no cost to their employees, according to Aspire.
Primary care services within the HEALTHeACCESS program include primary care office or telehealth visits, physicals and immunizations, mental health care and chronic condition management. Other benefits include wellness education and health coaching, labs, tests and X-rays, more than 60 formulary prescriptions and more, officials said.
Any employee, plus their spouse and dependents, can participate. There is no minimum participation rate for an employer to make the program available to their workers. No insurance coverage is required for the employer or employee to participate either, according to Aspire.
“We are thrilled to partner with Aspire to offer their members an innovative healthcare solution,” said Tim Ross, director of employer solutions at Franciscan Health, in a statement. “HEALTHeACCESS is a cost-effective program designed to deliver comprehensive primary care services, ensuring that everyone has access to the care they need.“
Since releasing the news about the partnership with Franciscan last week, feedback from Aspire members has been “very enthusiastic,” she said.
For example, at an Aspire event on Tuesday morning, Vandersteen was approached by several people who wanted to learn more or take part in an upcoming webinar about the program.
“It’s amazing to see just that kind of look of relief on their face like, ‘Yes, something that can help our employees,’” she said. “It is like this look of, ‘Wow, here’s something. Here’s an answer. It might not solve everything, but it’s an answer to what we’ve been looking to do.’”
Aspire is offering opportunity immediately and will hold an information webinar for any interested employers on Sept. 10. For more information on the program and the webinar, employers should contact Vandersteen at 317-888-4856 or [email protected].
