7. Partnership

Over the past few years, American companies have experienced up to a 25 percent increase in their health care costs. Several factors are driving up those costs, such as increased utilization of health care services, rising drug costs and the high price of new technology.

St. John’s has found a solution for employers who wish to provide a comprehensive, yet affordable, health benefit plan for their employees. That solution is partnership.

St. John’s Health Plans directly partners with area employers to address their health care cost drivers while improving the quality of health care their employees receive.

St. John’s physicians and other health care providers work as a team with these employers to ensure that patients benefit from the right care at the right time in the right place. St. John’s, as an integrated health system, can apply information from clinical screenings in a protective way to improve overall health.

A customized health “report card” that reveals areas in which certain groups of employees could improve their health – and reduce health care costs - is provided to employers quarterly.

“As an employer, our overall objective is to provide a good, solid benefit plan that is cost-effective for the company, as well as for the team member (employee),” says Steve Pope, O’Reilly Auto Parts vice president of human resources.

O’Reilly Auto Parts, along with Bass Pro, is one of St. John’s “employer partners.”

“St. John’s administers our claims management for us, our disease management, our case management and they also are our pharmacy benefit provider,” Pope says. “Not only do we have a partnership with St. John’s, but we have a partnership with our employees and their families … if they use their benefits conscientiously and wisely, we can keep premiums at the absolute lowest they can be.”