The ability for self-funded companies to add value-based healthcare options to their benefits package through direct contracting is fundamentally transforming how healthcare is accessed and delivered in corporate America.
The Regenexx Corporate Program is a direct contracting option that provides an interventional step in the traditional care continuum. This approach offers employees an added benefit and ensures options in care are considered before a potentially risky and lengthy surgery.
Adding Regenexx as a strategic step to a self-funded plan significantly increases the quality of care, while reducing costs and is at no expense to the payor. Our turn-key process is rapidly building momentum among corporations, brokers and healthcare interventionalists.
- 60 new direct contracts in 2019 YTD
- Over a quarter million new covered lives in 2019 YTD
- Q1 of 2019 Regenexx saw as many corporate patients as in all of 2018
The advantages of Direct Contracting with Regenexx are exemplified by the real-life experiences of a major corporation, as described below by one of their Senior Executives, Mike Adams.
Dean Foods added Regenexx into their cost-saving care continuum program as of January 1, 2019, and is experiencing early successes with the program.
Interview with Regenexx and Mike Adams, VP of Benefits and HR Systems at Dean Foods
Industry: Food Processing
Size: 20,000 employee lives
How much of your total spend is orthopedic surgeries?
Dean Foods: Our average spend is about 15% to 17% depending on the year.
When did you identify orthopedics as a key cost driver in your plan?
Dean Foods: Two to three years ago we were noticing it to be the fastest-growing of our diagnostic categories and it was a cost driver that we hadn’t addressed yet. Therefore, we looked for strategies to address cost and care.
Dean Foods is one of the first companies to truly attack musculoskeletal costs within your plan. What did you identify as problematic within your current musculoskeletal care continuum?
Dean Foods: We identified early on the propensity of our employees to resort to MSK surgeries rather than interventional strategies using a step therapy methodology. We started there.
When and why did you decide that Regenexx is a key strategy within your interventional health care approach?
Dean Foods: Stem cell and platelet therapies from Regenexx was a natural extension of our MSK step therapy process that is designed to give employees the highest quality of care possible while trying to avoid ineffective surgeries when appropriate.
How has the Regenexx Corporate Program helped advance your utilization strategies?
Dean Foods: Regenexx was an essential part of the team that reviewed and improved our musculoskeletal model. They were the experts in how to identify the potential employee subset that typically seeks surgical care for an orthopedic event as well as helped us implement a key steerage plan. They also developed the communication strategy to share the Regenexx option which lessened any burden on us. Once the communication plan was in place they developed the incentive model to direct employees and incent appropriate care. Dean Foods views Regenexx as a critical part of our MSK care continuum. To encourage our plan members to take advantage of this option, Dean Foods has opted to cover 100% of the cost for Regenexx services (for members on our HSA-qualified plan, we cover 100% above the federal minimum). We additionally provide a cash incentive to qualified candidates who chose to have a Regenexx procedure of between $1,000 and $2,000 depending on with Regenexx procedure they receive. This benefit structure provides a strong financial incentive for our plan members to seek out Regenexx treatment before orthopedic surgery.
What information gave you the confidence that adding Regenexx was the right choice?
Dean Foods: Every piece of information Regenexx provided us confirmed their value proposition even with the CMO. Their procedures were research driven, outcomes monitored and performed in a standardized approach across the country.
How important is utilization of services inside of all of your intervention strategies?
Dean Foods: We have learned that it is critical to first decide on the interventional strategies and more importantly ensure that our care are exercised at the employee level. This is a challenge for all healthcare providers in the US. A dual approach has provided the best results. The first is an education program and the second is adding steerage into the plan design. Without employees exercising these strategies at the point of care, the results are unrecognized. We have seen a significant positive impact to the care provided and the cost of that care.
What are the downsides, if any, for a self-funded employer to add Regenexx procedures to their orthopedic care continuum?
Dean Foods: There are no downsides and only upsides for a self-funded employer to add Regenexx to a self-funded health plan. It truly became a no-brainer for Dean Foods.
Find out how you can add Regenexx to your self-funded health plan. Call Regenexx Tampa Bay at 941-357-1773 in Sarasota and at 813-544-3123 in Tampa.
