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Case Study

Unions create coalition to deliver high-quality primary care

See how nine labor groups formed a coalition with Marathon Health to bring 40,000 members no-cost primary care through eight dedicated union wellness centers.
Read the case study

For labor organizations, healthcare access is a promise, not a perk. Yet cost barriers and fragmented systems leave many without consistent primary care. When care is hard to access, conditions go unmanaged and costs climb. This case study explores how nine labor groups answered that challenge by forming a coalition built around a union wellness center model.

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ABOUT UNION WELLNESS CENTERS

Nine unions. One coalition. Forty thousand members.

A workforce built on strength

Skilled tradespeople are the backbone of the nation's infrastructure. These workers perform demanding, physical work—and their health is essential to their ability to do it. Yet access to affordable primary care has long been a challenge for labor group members and their families.

A coalition takes shape

In 2019, Plumbers UA Local 130 partnered with Marathon Health to open a dedicated wellness center. Encouraged by early results, they invited neighboring crafts to see the model firsthand. Through open houses, a movement grew—and nine labor unions across the Chicago metropolitan area and northern Indiana formed the Union Wellness Centers coalition.

THE CHALLENGE

Breaking down barriers to affordable, accessible care

Labor group members depend on their health to perform demanding work—but the traditional healthcare system often gets in the way. High costs, inconvenient locations, and impersonal experiences keep members from seeking care.

  • High costs discourage members from seeking routine primary care

  • Geographically scattered health centers create access and travel barriers

  • Fragmented, transactional care fails to build patient-provider relationships

Without a cost-free model built for labor groups, healthcare access was inconsistent, and the opportunity to improve outcomes and reduce long-term costs was lost. A new approach was needed to unite multiple unions under a shared vision for member health.

THE MARATHON HEALTH SOLUTION

A coalition-powered model built to deliver care where members are

A dedicated union wellness center network for members

Eight union wellness centers were established near where members live, offering primary care, physical therapy, medications, immunizations, and wellness programming at no cost to members.

Removing cost and travel barriers to primary care access

Marathon Health centers near where union members and their families live drive proactive care and build the long-term patient-provider relationships that improve outcomes.

Building long-term patient-provider relationships at scale

Marathon Health offers personalized, continuous care, helping members build lasting provider relationships. This proactive approach supports whole-person health for nine labor unions.

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MEMBER SATISFACTION
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satisfaction score reflecting the high-quality care experience delivered

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YoY increase in wellness center visits, showing strong and growing engagement

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members across nine labor unions now have access to no-cost primary care

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YoY increase in physical therapy visits across union wellness center locations

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union wellness centers strategically placed to serve members and their families

  • I want my members and their families to have a good life, and to do that, you've got to be healthy. When you offer free primary healthcare with no copay and no deductible, people are going to try it.
    JIM COYNE
    Business Manager, Plumbers UA Local 130
GET THE CASE STUDY

See how nine unions built a better model for member health

Download the full case study to see how nine labor unions partnered with Marathon Health to deliver no-cost primary care to 40,000 members—and what that coalition model means for access, engagement, and long-term health outcomes.
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