The city of Round Rock says its clinic for employees saved more than $200,000 in medical costs[/caption]
Round Rock’s Human Resources Department estimates the in-house clinic for city employees has saved more than $200,000 in medical costs, according to a presentation given to City Council Sept. 22.
The council unanimously voted in December 2013 to create the clinic to help reduce the cost of health care billings. It opened in May 2014.
"We don’t charge in the clinic," said Valerie Francois, Round Rock Human Resources director.
Francois said the goal of the clinic is to provide acute care and occupational medicine for city employees.
Francois said the HR department calculated the $211,002 savings figure by totaling the number of clinic visits, physicals and other treatments and asking the city's insurer what those treatments would have cost.
Francois said not only has the city seen a direct savings from health care billings, but it has seen $299,916 in indirect health care savings from early diagnosis of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension or depression.
"Had those [ailments] not been diagnosed and managed in the clinic we would have paid more," Francois said. "Or if they had waited until it was too late we would have spent even more."
Since beginning a year and a half ago, the clinic has taken over conducting physicals for the Fire and Police departments. It added an additional staff member in July, and in August started seeing city employees' dependents ages 5 and older.
The city of Round Rock says its clinic for employees saved more than $200,000 in medical costs[/caption]
Round Rock’s Human Resources Department estimates the in-house clinic for city employees has saved more than $200,000 in medical costs, according to a presentation given to City Council Sept. 22.
The council unanimously voted in December 2013 to create the clinic to help reduce the cost of health care billings. It opened in May 2014.
"We don’t charge in the clinic," said Valerie Francois, Round Rock Human Resources director.
Francois said the goal of the clinic is to provide acute care and occupational medicine for city employees.
Francois said the HR department calculated the $211,002 savings figure by totaling the number of clinic visits, physicals and other treatments and asking the city's insurer what those treatments would have cost.
Francois said not only has the city seen a direct savings from health care billings, but it has seen $299,916 in indirect health care savings from early diagnosis of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension or depression.
"Had those [ailments] not been diagnosed and managed in the clinic we would have paid more," Francois said. "Or if they had waited until it was too late we would have spent even more."
Since beginning a year and a half ago, the clinic has taken over conducting physicals for the Fire and Police departments. It added an additional staff member in July, and in August started seeing city employees' dependents ages 5 and older.
