Oro Valley moves forward on town medical clinic
By Becky Pallack, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Here's what you need to know about it.
Where will the clinic be located?
In part of a used triple-wide modular building to be installed at
Besides the clinic, the building also will provide storage for the
The building will cost
How much will it cost?
Town manager
"This is going to save the town money by driving down and reducing claims costs," Caton said.
And there won't be any copays for people covered by the town's health insurance plan.
The town expects to spend
The town dumped its health insurance contract two years ago and went to a self-insured model, which means it pays claims to providers, to the tune of
The cost of the clinic contract will be less than paying providers elsewhere, Caton said.
"Each time someone visits the clinic it has the potential of saving us hundreds of dollars," he said.
The self-insurance, a wellness program and the clinic will save money in the long run, council member
In the first year of self-insurance, the town saved
What services will be available?
The clinic will include a waiting room and one exam room.
It will be staffed by a nurse practitioner.
People can get treatment for common problems like ear infections, cold or flu, asthma, diabetes and arthritis. They can also get physical exams and wellness check-ups, help with weight-loss or smoking-cessation plans, and flu shots, among other things.
Has this been done before?
Caton got the idea partly from the city of
The clinic recorded about 4,000 visits last year and users reported a 92 percent approval rating, said
The town's contract with OnSite Care costs
Caton thinks on-site clinics will be a growing trend for towns and big businesses to manage their health-care costs.
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