Where employees get care matters — maybe more than you think
When employees make more informed choices about where to get their health care, employers and employees alike may see savings.
The site of care — where a medical service is delivered — can dramatically impact cost, even for identical treatments. Consider this: the median emergency room (ER) visit runs $2,750 for employers and members, while a median urgent care visit for the same issue costs just $195.1 That's a difference of roughly $2,500 per visit. Freestanding ERs aren't much better at $1,600 on average. Meanwhile, virtual primary care averages just $60.1 In fact, ER visits can cost up to 14 times more than other care options.1 For conditions like allergies, bladder infections, pinkeye or muscle sprains, the ER is rarely the most cost-effective choice — yet many employees default to it anyway.
The encouraging news is that informed decisions can pay off. Research shows that more health-activated individuals see 60–70% fewer ER visits per 1,000 members.2 As UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual Chief Data & Analytics Officer Craig Kurtzweil puts it, "Seemingly small decisions about where to seek care can have an outsize impact on costs."
Employers can help tip the scales by focusing on 3 strategies:
- Designing health plans and networks that steer members toward efficient care settings
- Educating employees about their site-of-care options so they feel confident choosing the right one
- Incentivizing cost-appropriate decisions
When employees understand the difference between a $60 virtual visit and a $2,750 ER trip1 — and know when each is appropriate — both they and their employers stand to save. Download the placemat to learn more.
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