Embracing the Future of Healthcare: The Rise of Subscription Care Models

Most people are no strangers to subscription models. From entertainment to getting your favorite specialty coffee delivered to your doorstep every month, subscription-type services offer everyone convenience and easy access to everything they need.

So it’s no wonder that we’re seeing a rise in healthcare services delivered in this very same subscription model. The convenience, coupled with the increased awareness of providing employees with plenty of opportunities to care for their health and wellbeing, are motivating more and more healthcare providers to re-think the traditional way they approach healthcare, and how they charge for it.

And there are a lot of opportunities on the horizon for the healthcare system.

 

What Is Subscription Care?

When it comes to healthcare services, not much has changed in the way people or companies pay for it: healthcare facilities charge after the patient comes in for an appointment or procedure.

However, this model doesn’t incentivize patients to be proactive about their health. Most commonly, people will see the doctor only after they’ve begun to notice some worrying symptoms. Healthcare costs often deter people from getting essential medical care altogether if they do not have the means to pay for it.

But with a subscription model, the patient has the advantage of being able to reclaim control over their health and move to a preventative approach. While providing the advantage of better and more personalized healthcare Patients can see their primary care physicians for everything from routine annual check-ups to complex chronic conditions. The subscription care model can encourage them to seek medical attention more often, even before their health deteriorates.

Of course, the subscription care model yields many advantages for healthcare facilities as well. Your institution will first receive monthly payments from those who join the program, which can greatly improve cash flow. Moreover, getting patients in for preventive treatments allows you to essentially provide better care for your patients.

So what sort of services are included in these subscription models? Each healthcare facility has the benefit of deciding this for itself, though in most cases the services will include:

  • Preventative care services
  • Basic illness treatments (usually for both acute and chronic conditions)
  • Care coordination services

A subscription care package can also provide patients with additional incentives to both sign-up and take care of their health, such as discounts for prescription medications or lab tests.

 

How This Model Impacts the Current Health Crisis

One review of 81 studies identified a total of 143 estimated changes regarding healthcare utilization, 95.1% of which were a reduction in healthcare utilization.

Essentially, because of this global health crisis, people have been going to the doctor even less frequently, either because of lockdown ordinances or even just the fear of exposure to the Covid-19 virus. During this time, however, telehealth services have increased in popularity, as they allowed patients to safely talk to a doctor about their health concerns.

Overall, facilities that adopted the subscription care model saw little impact during the global health crisis. Because patients were already incentivized to care for their health, most facilities simply need to migrate to telehealth means to connect with patients.

 

How Different Groups Can Capitalize on the Pending Demand

The subscription care model can be adapted to suit almost all types of healthcare facilities and the types of services they offer.

At its core, the subscription care model is designed to incentivize patients to get essential medical attention before their health deteriorates, and more often than just the yearly check-ups.

Some examples of what groups can leverage the subscription model can include:

 

  • Mental health facilities – Can provide patients with a subscription care package designed to cater to their mental and emotional well-being, which can include therapies and discounts on medication;
  • Behavioral therapy providers – Can create subscription packages designed to help patients overcome specific issues, such as addiction, phobias, and more;
  • Dental care providers – Can include preventative treatments such as cleanings, and common dental services such as root canals, emergency dental services, gum disease treatment, etc.
  • ChiropractorsCan provide session-based packages to help individuals relieve pain and discomfort caused by working in the office, other need-based packages, etc.

 

How Accresa Can Assist with Subscription Care

Accresa provides the solution for healthcare facilities to implement a secure subscription care model without having to navigate the administrative difficulties it would normally require.

Our platform empowers all healthcare providers to access one integrated, customizable, automated, and easy-to-use solution that can help them offer better care for their patients. Not only that, but the Accresa team will greatly assist you during the implementation and provide essential staff education on how to truly leverage the platform.

To put it into perspective, here are some results from the CHI Health Clinic in Omaha Nebraska, which leveraged Accresa’s platform to optimize their employee subscription care plans:

  • Reduced spend on manual invoicing by 75%
  • 83% of employees enrolled in the program saw their doctor at least once in 2020
  • Employees in the program have 12% lower cost of care than those on high deductible plans, and 24% lower than those on PPO plans
  • Inpatient PMPM was 20% lower than those on high deductible plans, and 33% lower than those on PPO plans

Given the impact these models can have on incentivizing patients to take care of their health, it’s very likely the rates of subscription care services will increase even further.

Accressa’s platform and services are designed to help healthcare facilities create, optimize, and implement a subscription-based model. 

If you are ready to take the next step with your subscription healthcare service, talk to Accresa today.

 

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