The Advantages Of Establishing Care

One of the most effective ways for employees to become engaged patients and improve their health is also one of the simplest: establishing care. This simple act can have a profound impact on engagement, overall health, and organizations’ bottom line.

Here’s why, and how, to encourage your workforce to establish care.

What is establishing care?

Establishing care happens when a patient chooses a single provider to be their primary source of medical care. It sets up patients to have a consistent and trusted source for all their primary care medical needs.

An established care provider becomes familiar with an employee’s medical history, current health issues, family dynamics, and goals for better health. Providers and patients work together to understand behaviors and underlying causes, rather than a more narrow focus on current symptoms. This helps providers offer patients more multifaceted treatment options that improve overall health.

Benefits of established care

Vera’s advanced primary care (APC) model centers the member experience in primary care — which can accomplish 80 to 90 percent of all care needs. Primary care centers provide employees with a medical “home” where they benefit from whole person care, a proactive care team, and low- to no-cost appointments. 

When employees establish care with a single provider, they benefit from:

• Personalized treatment plans that reflect their complete history, health goals, and ongoing obstacles or behaviors impeding better health.
• Trusting provider relationships that encourage patients to feel more comfortable scheduling appointments, meeting with their provider, and communicating their health issues.
• An empathetic environment where patients are more likely to feel heard and take greater ownership of health goals.

APC’s improved health outcomes and superior member experience create a win for organizations too — by satisfying the majority of employees’ healthcare needs in high-quality primary care centers. As a result, organizations see a significant reduction in their overall healthcare costs.

Learn more about the new class of managed care by downloading our free white paper: Delivering Managed Care The Way It Was Intended.

Vera helps organizations encourage employee care

Encouraging employees to establish care may feel like an elusive goal, but it’s entirely achievable — and Vera is committed to supporting organizations along the way. 

We’re happy to work with you to inspire and improve primary care utilization, and we’ve created intuitive resources that you can share with your workforce:

• Employees may not understand the care solutions at their fingertips (including virtual care appointments with providers and health coaches). Vera’s Member Experience blog posts offer practical tips and insights that are easy to share and help educate and refresh employees about the solutions available to them. 
• Testimonials are one of the most effective ways to communicate the benefits of established care. Once you’ve received an employee’s consent, share their story and the positive outcomes, like that of Vera patient Frank Garcia.

Once your organization adopts APC, consider these three additional ideas to create a more engaged environment:

1. Conduct a workshop — Invite a primary care provider to talk about the positive impact primary care can have on overall health. It’s a great opportunity for employees to ask questions, get more information, and feel more comfortable stepping into their health journey by establishing care.
2. Demystify care— Keep your explanation of established care straightforward and easy to understand. Let your workforce know that establishing care is as simple as choosing one provider to trust with their healthcare.
3. Sweeten the deal — If your organization is allowed to, offer workforce incentives like giveaways or a cash bonus for establishing care to give employees an extra boost. It’s also an effective way of reinforcing the value of the benefits your organization offers — as well as your commitment to providing benefits that make a real difference in employees’ lives.

Engagement drives results

Healthcare is only as effective as the number of employees who develop trusting relationships with their providers. 

When a patient establishes care at Vera, it facilitates our unique approach to managed care and unlocks a number of proven benefits. Patients receive whole person care and efficient, personalized support, while organizations reap significant savings and harness a powerful recruiting and retention tool. 

And healthier, more engaged employees lead to more productive, innovative organizations. It’s a significant advantage in today’s competitive landscape, and one that benefits everyone involved.

Learn why managed care done right provides organizations and workforces with big benefits. Download our FREE white paper to learn more.