Can Concierge Medical Services Work in the Restaurant Sector?  

For several years we have been considering the viability of high touch healthcare concierge programs in the restaurant space.   The market leaders in this field are several third party providers, although some carriers are also developing and offering these services.  The attraction of the strategy is increased employee perception of the plans while reducing plan costs.  One of our restaurant clients has adopted this strategy and our initial analysis is that first year medical spend was reduced by approximately five percent and, more importantly, that a two-percent reduced rate of increase is expected in future years. 

These results are achieved by dramatically increasing employee engagement and awareness of the benefits offering and gently steering members to the highest value providers and facilities.  The premise is that employees (especially those with significant health issues) have difficulty navigating the world of health insurance and, therefore, are susceptible to…