A Proactive Approach to Reducing Drug Costs

Prescription Drug Costs

Prescription drug costs are rising in the U.S. leading to higher health insurance costs and access issues for your employees. As a result, Americans are finding it difficult to afford medications which leads to dangerous consequences. “In a 2013 survey, one in five adults in the U.S. said they failed to complete a prescribed course of medicine because of cost.” NPR reports that 1 in 4 patients living with diabetes have rationed their insulin due to costs more than doubling since 2012.

Employee health directly impacts business health. Unhealthy workers cost businesses as much as $153 billion per year, and employers are now addressing this health issue directly. Watch this video in which Ryan Brauns shares how the City of Rockford used worksite healthcare services to directly address high-cost pharmacy spending.

Worksite Healthcare

Employers are taking control by providing high-quality, convenient, and cost-effective healthcare at the worksite. In fact, 33 percent of all organizations with 5,000 or more employees provide worksite healthcare to their employees.

At Marathon Health, our health centers include medication dispensing at the worksite. Providing generic medication conveniently at the point of care improves access and delivers 2:1 to 4:1 savings to patients. However, the best way to reduce costs is to reduce risk and improve health.

When you know which health risks and chronic conditions affect your employees, your business can put worksite healthcare in place to address and reduce these risks. Your clinical team can tailor health center services, programming, and outreach to manage specific illness and chronic conditions. For example, a clinician may offer nutrition education classes with automatic alerts to engage individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes or hypertension.

Empowering Employees to Improve Their Health

Providing high-quality clinical care at the worksite allows your employees to partner with their providers to develop a personalized health plan. Biometric screening and comprehensive health reviews often serve as a wake-up call for employees in need of care.

“When I went into the Health and Wellness Center for my first Comprehensive Health Review, almost every number on the screen was red: blood sugar, blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol, and my weight. After my provider presented me all of my health facts, I was afraid I was destined to be on prescribed medication for the rest of my life. I was determined that I was going to fight and chose to discuss my options.” – Rhonda, Marathon Health patient, employee of Roanoke County Public Schools, and winner of Healthy Like Me.

Rhonda became aware of her health, made an action plan with her provider, and improved her blood pressure, weight, BMI, blood sugar, and cholesterol within 12 weeks. Rhonda’s biometric screening identified her as diabetic, but she avoided the need for a costly insulin prescription by reducing her A1c.

Rhonda isn’t alone. At Marathon Health, 50 percent of patients are actively making progress toward their health goals.

Prevention truly is the best medicine. Improving employee health and avoiding chronic conditions leads to health plan savings. Reduce your drug costs by reducing the need for prescriptions.