Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Tapping Corporate Clients' Cadillac Plans

It's the new trend in mega health care center back-room deals:
Retailer Lowe's will offer its employees heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, under an alliance between the hospital in Ohio and the No. 2 home improvement chain.

Mooresville, N.C.-based Lowe's Cos. says the new benefit will provide full-time workers and their covered dependents with the "best of the best" in cardiac care, with lower out-of-pocket expenses than at other facilities.

Lowe's said Tuesday that it will cover all medical deductibles and co-payments for elective, prescheduled heart surgery at the Clinic, and will pay travel and lodging costs for the patient and a companion to go to Cleveland. Concierge services will be provided to make the trip arrangements.

Neither Lowe's nor the Cleveland Clinic released financial terms of their deal.
I'm sure that paying the insurance co-pays, deductible, airfare and accommodations as well as the cost of surgery will make the transfer of care to Cleveland Clinic more than cost effective to these lucky patients. Heck, they won't see a thing!

Remember the age old saying as we work to cut health care costs in America: "Hey, if it's free, it's for me!"

-Wes

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

So who will be expected to provide the post-op care that would normally be included in the global fee that Cleveland Clinic will receive? A NP in the supply room at Lowe's?

Anonymous said...

i believe if another surgeon sees them postop they can bill the insurer and there is some adjustment in the global fee received by the operating surgeon to pay for the post op visit elsewhere.
however i never like to clean up after other people, and certainly not if i could have done the initial procedure or surgery and anticipated a good outcome.