Category: News

Delivering Prevention and Wellness under ACA

The Affordable Care Act moves into high gear Oct 1. with the ability for the uninsured to enroll in federal and state health insurance exchanges. For the first time, a one-stop competitive marketplace for health insurance will exist. No longer will pre-existing conditions be a reason for denial of coverage, and lifetime caps on benefits will be a thing of the past. Government subsidies will reduce the premium costs for many.

The 2010 Census estimates there are 48 million uninsured, which is 15 percent of the population. Interestingly, this number is roughly the same number that IHRSA estimates as being healthclub members (50 million). I have to wonder how many uninsured are using their healthcare dollars for membership fees.

With the Act’s emphasis on prevention and wellness, it will be interesting to see what impact it will have on the health and fitness industry and especially, medical fitness centers. I believe it could be huge and that is the reason that clubs, medical facilities, and Ys should be taking the lead in promoting and educating the public and their members about their state’s enrollment process. I would even go so far, as to suggest we offer a free month’s membership incentive to anyone who enrolls in a health-insurance exchange and who provides appropriate documentation as to eligibility. Also, the health and fitness industry should be using its marketing clout to run public service announcements in the local media. Many states have decided not to participate providing a need for greater local activism.

In my opinion, these new enrollees will be a game changer for our industry. For many with chronic health issues, there will be a new emphasis on managing their health. We should be part of the new delivery mechanism of insurers, physicians and health systems. With so many new consumers in the system, communicating and managing health for many will create new opportunities and a new sub-industry. The health and fitness industry must be part of “getting the message out” if its 30,000-plus locations are to have a place at the table.

 

Ten Good Reasons Why Your Community needs a MedFit Wellness Center

1. Provide a channel to an enormous market of health-seeking Baby Boomers.
• By 2005, 1 out of 2 American adults will be over the age of 55.
• Four out of 10 in that group are willing to pay out-of-pocket to maintain their health and physical vibrancy.

2. Expand the visibility, scope and outreach of outpatient programs and affiliated physicians.
• Medical fitness center members represent a huge market of potential users of additional health-related services.
• Locating outpatient programs and physicians on-site provides natural and easy access to these services as required.

3. Provide a new source of operating income.
• Well-managed medical fitness centers consistently generate 15% or more of new net operating income for the general operating fund of the hospital.
• Typically, the money is used to further expand preventive initiatives in the community.

4. Utilize philanthropic donations to create a unique community asset.
• Although a medical fitness center consists of bricks and mortar, it is energetically human in scope and services.
• It offers a satisfying philanthropic opportunity to people interested in vigorous initiatives in community health.

5. Provide a mechanism to enter the integrative medicine marketplace.
• A medical fitness center provides an extension of the wellness continuum and can reflect or extend your institution’s philosophy.
• The center offers a natural, comfortable environment for introducing the professional services of integrative medicine practitioners and also can easily encompass licensed MD medical techniques.

6. Provide a more compassionate reality to your wellness mission.
• Typically, hospitals focus on wellness programming to improve community health, but frequently lack a centralized facility in which to provide these services.
• A fitness center offers a bright, inviting, health-focused environment in which to pursue wellness-related activities.

7. Financially underwrite satellite ambulatory care campus real estate.
• Virtually all healthcare providers struggle with how to operate effective outreach programs to expand and solidify their base.
• Fitness centers produce income to support the development of other synergistic real estate projects, such as senior housing and physician offices.

8. Definitively differentiate your organization from the competition.
• Only 500-600 local hospitals and healthcare systems across the country offer the advantage of medical fitness centers.
• Developing and building a center speaks volumes about your commitment to improving community health.

9. Expand social entrepreneurship role into other community health ventures.
• A successful fitness center project strengthens and enhances entrepreneurial interest and skills at the sponsoring institution.
• An enthusiastic entrepreneurial attitude plays an extremely valuable role in terms of future business growth, even in healthcare.

10. Create healthier patients for the future.
• Medical fitness centers help keep people healthier as they age.
• When these people eventually utilize healthcare services, they generally will require shorter hospital stays and have better outcomes, improving hospital cost-effectiveness.

Chronic Care Management

Check out this company. Recently in the Science Section of The New York Times, an article on chronic care management got my attention because of this company, Health Quality Partners, and the success they’ve had in lowering Medicare patients’ healthcare costs. (The rest of the article wasn’t too optimistic.) Medical Fitness Centers ought to be doing this, if they’re not already. We have a similar approach that we’ve used with some of our clients.