Significantly fewer hospital visits, effective use of telemedicine and care management process yield significant cost savings for healthcare company’s clients

Redirect Health’s member utilization over the past 18 months makes it clear the company’s healthcare delivery model is working: the Arizona-based business, which helps employers nationwide build affordable healthcare plans through a partial self-insurance model, dramatically outperformed Centers for Disease Control benchmarks from Jan. 2015 through June 2016.

CDC collects utilization data from health insurance companies across the nation, averaging the data to set its benchmarks in categories including number of people who sought medical treatment in a doctor’s office, number of emergency department visits, and number of hospitalizations, and dozens of others. Among Redirect Health’s most noteworthy measures:

- Redirect Health emergency department utilization was more than 70 percent lower than CDC1 benchmarks for members aged 6-64, and 66 percent lower for children under 62;
- Nearly 80 percent fewer members were hospitalized2;

Another remarkable metric: Redirect Health’s renewal rate was 94 percent in 2015.

“The data shows we’re helping our members access the right level of care in the most appropriate setting, weighing factors including cost, quality and efficiency,” said Redirect Health Medical Director Dr. Janice Johnston, M.D. “In many cases, people go to the hospital for non-emergent medical issues like the flu, sinusitis or a minor injury because an issue arises at night or their regular doctor is booked. In many cases, they don’t even have a doctor, or they simply don’t know how to navigate the system. We provide our members with 24-7 help navigating healthcare so they don’t have to worry about unnecessary services, doctors’ visits or costs.”

Redirect Health credits 24-7 access to a care expert with its impressive utilization metrics. When members are sick or injured, they contact Redirect Health, in English or Spanish and for $0 copay, to speak with a specialist who quickly evaluates their healthcare needs, collects necessary information and determines the most appropriate treatment plan. With access to members’ complete health records, specialists can review the member’s medical history in order to make the best possible care decision.

“As a third party administrator, we rarely, if ever, see results like these,” said Tom Byrd, CEO of Group Resources. “Redirect Health’s performance is almost unbelievable, but the numbers say it all. The company is significantly reducing claims and lowering costs for employers.”

More than 65 percent of the time, members will not need an in-person visit. This saves money, is more convenient for members, and reduces their time off work. All told, Redirect Health helps members access the right kind of care and prevents unnecessary trips to doctors and hospitals.

“One of the problems Redirect Health is solving is the lack of transparency in the healthcare industry,” added Dr. Johnston. “Transparency in costs is critical in all aspects of our business, as our mission is to empower employers and members to make smart decisions about their healthcare. It’s in this spirit that we plan to release our utilization data semi-annually, and we invite other healthcare companies to do the same.”

Redirect Health offers business owners an alternative to traditional health insurance. The company’s flagship solution, EverydayCare™, meets Affordable Care Act mandates and addresses the majority of routine healthcare needs, such as treatment of coughs, colds, diabetes, asthma, pain, injury and other common ailments. Redirect Health’s services include unlimited $0 copay primary care, injury care, chiropractic, labs and preventive care. The company keeps costs low without sacrificing quality by ‘redirecting’ a patient’s care through the most efficient, cost-effective route.

Redirect Health’s plans start at less than $100 a month per employee. Costs can be paid by the business owner, the employee, or a combination thereof (as explained in this video). To learn more, contact (888) 912-0749 or nextsteps@redirecthealth.com.

References

1. “Emergency Department Visits.” Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control. At [http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/emergency-department.htm](http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/emergency-department.htm)
2. “Hospital Utilization (in non-Federal short-stay hospitals).” Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control. At [http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/hospital.htm](http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/hospital.htm)
3. “Ambulatory Care Use and Physician office visits.” Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control. At [http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/physician-visits.htm](http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/physician-visits.htm)

 

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