Twelve years into offering direct-to-employer products, Cleveland Clinic is adding two specialties to its centers of excellence: musculoskeletal and bariatric care.
Cleveland Clinic debuted its center of excellence for cardiac care in 2010. When employers partner with Cleveland Clinic for this direct-to-employer product, employees and their dependents receive a medical record review to ensure surgery is necessary, according to a July 7 news release.
If surgery is deemed necessary, deductibles and coinsurance are covered, as well as travel and hotel expenses for the patient and a companion. Cleveland Clinic then assists in orchestrating travel arrangements and provides concierge services for program participants, depending on employer coverage. Other benefits include patient navigators who assist in coordinating with home providers and virtual care options.
The same model will hold for the Musculoskeletal Center of Excellence and Bariatric Center of Excellence. An essential part of the musculoskeletal program includes helping patients with lower-back pain who have received a spine surgery diagnosis. Cleveland Clinic’s group practice physician model ensures there is no incentive to provide surgical intervention, resulting in only 1 in 8 patients pursuing a surgical pathway in the first year, the release said.
"These new innovative centers of excellence aim not only to improve access to care, but help employers add a benefits solution that assists in retaining employees," Wesley Wolfe, executive director of market and network services at Cleveland Clinic, said in the release. "By offering programs like our centers of excellence, employers give employees access to higher-quality care at a lower cost."