Healthcare is Outpacing Inflation—Make Your Case on Cost Savings

Healthcare costs are growing at a slower pace than in years past, but they’re still rising faster than the overall inflation rate, according to new data from the PwC Health Research Institute. That means the pressure is still on insurers and employers (not to mention everyday people who pay out of pocket) to make sure their own costs are kept in check. Urgent care has the chance to play the hero in this scenario by providing immediate, quality care at lower costs than the emergency room. Promote the cost difference when negotiating contracts, and consider marketing your occupational medicine program with a more targeted message; the key piece of data is that healthcare costs are expected to grow 6.5% overall through this year and the next. If you can show that your center can help offset that by comparing your costs vs the local hospital or freestanding emergency room, it’s likely you’ll have a new customer and many more patients.